


Anyone Who Knows What Love Is ~ Will Understand

by FantasyOfMine



Category: Black Mirror (TV), San Juniper, Sleepy Hollow (TV), Striking Vipers, White Christmas - Fandom, ichabbie - Fandom
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Striking Vipers - Freeform, Yes I have her sing the song, ichabbie - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-04-24 20:59:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 41,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19181278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FantasyOfMine/pseuds/FantasyOfMine
Summary: This was not where she thought her life would end up, but here she was. She was once happily married, or so she thought. The fire had gone out and the passion... god she missed the passion. Life was just mundane now, she had been content, thinking it was just a season, but when her husband, Danny, began his online affair, her world was rocked to its core."I'm Abbie,” Theo says without hesitation. She’s used this fake name before. It’s only going to be one night. The men don’t get to know her. Not really.Theo’s journey to finding true love.The ending is Choose your own destiny, so be sure not to skip CH 11. At the end of Ch11 make your choice and go to the corresponding Chapter. Have fun.& Feel free to read all the endings after.





	1. Chapter 1

1~

“Hi there.”

“Hi,” Theo smiles and takes a sip of her skinny martini. This guy is cute, tall, dark, mid-twenties, probably not looking for anything serious. Maybe he’ll do for tonight, she thinks... maybe.

This was not where she thought her life would end up, but here she was. She was once happily married, or so she thought. The fire had gone out and the passion... god she missed the passion. Life was just mundane now, she had been content, thinking it was just a season, but when her husband, Danny, began his online affair, her world was rocked to its core. 

She had always been a faithful, dutiful wife, loyal to the core. She’d have the occasional girls night out, but no matter how many times she got hit on, no matter how hot the guy was, she never once cheated. Whenever that urge would rise up, she pushed it down, squashed that shit. But Danny, couldn’t do the same. He just didn’t love her enough to say no.

For weeks she questioned her looks, her body, and her sanity, while he lied repeatedly saying nothing was going on. He no longer took her and fucked her like she was his glorious goddess. There were no more subtle touches, playful little kisses, the small tender moments that most people don’t notice, until they’re gone. So she thought it had to be something about her that made him no longer want or desire her. 

After the affair was exposed, she was devastated, but to keep her marriage and family intact, they made the compromise.

At that time she was thirty-five, eight almost nine months pregnant, with a four-year-old son. She thought about leaving, just getting the fuck out. Hell, this was not what she signed up for, but she still loved him, and the last thing she wanted was to put her son through a divorce while she was pregnant.

 

The compromise started out just on Danny’s birthday. He was happy, fucking an avatar. Theo not so much, but what was she going to do? He let her have a night, no wedding ring, and no questions asked. Basically if she wanted hot sex and ‘passion’, then she’d have to find it somewhere else.

 

They were only Three months in when the compromise fell apart. Karl wanted more, needed more from Danny, and the truth was Danny missed him, missed making love to the avatar. That’s what hurt Theo the most. How could she compete with a man-made digital version of perfection, and Asian beauty with porcelain white skin and white blond hair. She gave in, let them have each other once a month now, but the deal was the same. For one night, she was a single woman free to do as she pleased, and he couldn’t say a word about it.

He never did, never asked. She never smiled anymore, her joy, outside of her kids, was gone. But he didn’t seem to care.

This was her fifth time. The first time she tried and couldn’t go through with it. She walked into the hotel bar, so sure, solid. She didn’t smile, but she was resigned that this was how things were now. But after making out, with a handsome young man, she didn’t even catch his name, she left near tears. That wasn’t what she wanted.

The second time was better. The buff Latino guy named Luke, she thinks his name was, he could fuck like it was nobody’s business. She let him stay in her room all night. There was no heart in it, but at least she got fucked a few times that night.

The third time, it was a couple. She’d met an asshole earlier in the evening, which is the risk she now had to take. The couple stepped in and chased the creep away. She was reluctant, but she was horny as hell. It was pretty good, but two women sharing one dick was not ideal.

The forth time, she actually had two guys. The first was so quick, and not worth the time to go back to his room. The second guy took care of her the rest of the night. He did want to tie her up and put things inside her after their first time having sex, even asked for some role play. She declined most of the extra stuff and he was satisfied just fucking.

A night of excitement time and time again just leaves her feeling empty, a shell of who she once was. 

She’s used to it now that it’s her fifth time out. At least she knows there are men out there who still want her, who still find her desirable. But as for passion, love devotion... Nope, she wasn’t getting that.

“Can I buy you another?” Cute guy asks, giving her a smile.

“Sure,” she nods, almost smiling, but not quite ready to say he’d be the one for tonight.

He slides over into the seat beside her. “I don’t think I’ve seen you here before.”

“Probably not,” Theo tips her head to the side checking him out. This is a new place for her; a five-star hotel in the neighboring city. She has a room ready upstairs.

“I’m sure I’d remember seeing a fine ass female like you... Mmm..."

They make small talk but he already has one strike for calling her female instead of a woman. The rest of the conversation goes decently as they finish their drink. He’s thinking he’s got her.

 

“What’s your name shawty?”

“Abbie,” Theo says without hesitation. She’s used this fake name before. It’s only going to be one night. The men don’t get to know her. Not really.

“I’m Carl,” he says reaching his arm around her.

Strike two. She really does not want to deal with another Karl right now. 

“Fine ass female like me huh?” She asks finishing her drink. “Does that actually work on women?”

 

“Females know a good man when they see one. And I can tear that fine ass of yours up. You won’t walk straight for a week.” He whispers leaning into her ear and grabbing her ass. 

“What the hell?” Theo jumps up from her barstool. That’s strike three. 

“Come on let me show you what I can do to you baby girl,” he’s now holding on to her arm.

Theo gives him a stern look, “Let me go.”

“Damn, I just bought you a drink.”

“You bought me a drink, so what? You think I’m supposed to fuck you now?”

Carl scowls at her annoyed, “You know that’s all you came here for, hoe!”

“Hey,” The bartender steps over putting both hands on the bar, authoritatively. “Hands off.”

Theo snatches away as Carl lets her go. 

“Bitch,” he yells after her as she makes a B-line to the lobby bathroom. She’s so upset she doesn’t even see him, until she’s slamming into him.

Her handbag flies across the ground, spilling its contents, lipstick, a pen, cellphone, and two condoms. He drops his briefcase but it remains locked and secure.

“Damn it!” She swears, near tears. She doesn’t even look up.

“I beg your pardon,” a deep baritone in a clearly British accent calls out to her. “Please, allow me to help you.”

“I’m fine...” She sees long legs in dark pressed slacks kneeling down before she looks up and sees the face that matches the striking voice. And it more than matches. He’s got dark hair with light indigo eyes. His short cropped beard, trims his fine chiseled cheekbones and jawline.

When she looks up at him, he is awe-stricken by the prettiest set of amber eyes, laced with thick dark lashes. Her hair is longer now, dark curls with Golden bronze highlights. And probably the prettiest lips he’s ever seen on a woman. He’d only gotten a glimpse of her earlier, her perfect petite figure. Close up she was even more stunning than he first realized.

Once the contents are back in her purse he extends a hand to help her up. His eyes glance down and up her body, unable to hide that he’s impressed. 

 

“Are you all right,” he notices she’s teary-eyed, and isn’t sure if it was from whatever had upset her before their run in or their run in itself.

“I’m... Fine...” Theo quickly ducks into the bathroom to catch her breath and pull herself together. 

She wants to scream. She wants to be mad at Danny and Karl for putting her in this situation. But they didn’t make her take that wedding ring off and come to a bar. She did that. And not every guy was an ass like this Carl, or that Karl, or Danny. 

“Shit!” She swears slamming her hand on the counter. Her eyes gaze at her reflection in the mirror. 

She’s at a crossroads, and she knows it. She wants happiness and someone who is passionate about her, who truly loves her, who puts her above sex with a damn video game avatar.

She wipes her eyes to keep the tears from rolling down and straightens up, shakes it off. Tonight is a bust. There will always be next month.

Theo steps out of the bathroom and is met by the man who she ran into a few minutes ago. 

“Excuse me miss,” he calls out to her. “I just wanted to ensure that you are all right. You seemed upset. If I harmed you in any way...”

“No... I’m fine really. It wasn’t you. It’s just... it’s been a rough night.”

“Please allow me to buy you a drink, or perhaps you could join me for dinner. I just got in from London earlier and I’m famished.”

“I couldn’t bother you.”

“Truly it’s no bother. You look as though you could use some company, and well... I certainly would rather not dine alone. I do so far too oft.”

Theo smiles at his accent and his vernacular. As good looking as he is, he’s just not her type. He’s a tall, white, Brit in a tailored suit... nothing like Danny.

“Mr. Crane, your table is ready,” a hostess from the hotel restaurant steps into the lobby to address him.

“Should we set another place?”

“Join me?” He extended his arm for her.

“Fine... what the hell,” Theo shrugs and takes his arm.

“The name is Isaac Crane, by the way. And you are?”

“Th... Abbie,” Theo almost slips and gives him her real name. 

“Nice to meet you, Abbie.”

The two sit across from each other. 

“You’ll have to forgive me, earlier... I wasn’t quite myself. I’m usually a lot more put together.”

“Oh, I know. I noticed you earlier walking into the bar. I wanted to say hello, perhaps buy you a drink, but I had a meeting.”

“You noticed me,” she purses her lips and gives him a coy smile.

“How could I not. When the most striking woman you’ve ever seen walks by, one cannot help but notice. When we ran into each other, I thought, it must be fate. At the very least I had to make sure you were all right.”

“Fate,” she smiles. “I guess we’ll see.”

Oddly enough, small talk comes easily, and just as easily the conversation slips into more personal avenues. His eyes stay steady on her face when she talks to him, the baby blues studying her, taking in her every word, every movement. She occasionally notices his glance move down to her neck to her cleavage, but he always catches himself.

They’re finished with their meal now. He has his jacket off and the sleeves of his pressed white shirt rolled up, and they talk comfortably as if they already know each other. He has nice hands, and gorgeous strong forearms, slightly tanned and lightly dusted with tiny dark hairs. More than once she stops herself from staring, thinking about where she’d like him to put those nice long digits, and she wonders with hands like those, what is he's packing down...

 

“So, you’re a teacher. Beautiful and smart,” he gives her a charming smile, drawing her attention back to their conversation and off of the possibilities that are making her blush. 

Did he actually just call her beautiful? Theo’s heart flutters in her chest, she is aware that she is smiling bright and wide, but she can’t help it, crossing her legs tight to quell the rising urges.

“Quite a noble profession. What grades?” He asks genuinely interested.

“I used to teach government and paralegal studies at the local community college, but for the last five years, I’ve been... teaching preschool.” The truth was she was now a stay at home mom to a five-year-old and a 10-month-old.

“Fascinating,” Isaac muses.

“You find that fascinating?” Theo smiles.

“I find everything about you fascinating,” he smiled again leaning in closer to her. “We have a lot in common.”

“How so?” Theo leans in too, pursing her lips.

“Well, you see I’m in tech. Virtual reality to be specific.”

“Oh hell,” Theo grumbles backing up in her seat. “You make those damned video games?”

“Not a fan?” Isaac raises a brow and gives her a questioning look.

“Sorry but I’ve seen these VR video games ruin lives.”

“Hmm... Striking Vipers X or Hell Raisers X, most likely,” he was familiar with the stats on the VR products.

“Yeah, the first one.”

“I can assure you neither of those are mine. I myself am an educator as you are. I used to be a professor of Criminal Law and History, but I’ve always had a natural knack for technology. I helped develop a program widely used in the UK now that recreates Crime scenes, and puts the criminal along with the investigator back in that space. They can walk through the scenes step by step to solve crimes. It has a 100% success rate.”

“Damn, That was you?”

“In part, Yes. There were several of us collaborating on the project.”

“I’ve heard about it. They’re considering the tech for use here in the states.”

“They’ve already bought it, now it’s just a matter of running it through the US legal system.”

“I take back what I said. Virtual Reality technology used like this could be a game changer.” Theo is thoroughly impressed.

“So if it’s already sold, what brings you back to the states?”

“I’m working with a fellow historian here on my next big project. Recreating places throughout history for educational purposes. Instead of simply reading about the Egyptian pyramids, I want children, people of all ages really, to be able to go there and explore them safely… anywhere, anytime.” Isaac lights up as he talk. “Of course the real money is in the VR gaming technology, but the money doesn’t matter to me. This is a far more worthy an endeavor.”

He tells her a story about recreating Pompeii and the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius that has her genuinely laughing out loud. She can’t remember the last time she smiled this much or laughed so truly and deeply. 

Theo can see he’s very passionate about his work. “I hope your work is successful. I’d love to experience it someday.”

“Well,” Isaac took her hand in his. His large rough fingers gently brushing across her tiny knuckles. “I could show you now. I have everything with me in my suite.”

“At your place?” Theo was always uncertain about going back to a man’s room. 

“If you have friends waiting on you, you could let the concierge know that you’ll be in my suite.”

“I don’t know...” Theo blushes a little. She wants to go, she wants to see everything he wants to show her, and she really wants him to...

“Come, Treasure,” his voice pulls her out of her thoughts and back to him. “Let me show you the world.”

“Corny,” she grins up at him. She likes it.

~*~


	2. Chapter 2

CH2

 

“Here we are,” Isaac opens the door and welcomes her into his suite.

“It’s nice,” Theo looks around. The penthouse suite is four times the size of her room on a lower floor. It’s contemporary with a modern flare, has a fully stocked bar with a fridge and microwave, a large table for dining or taking meetings, a huge living room, an open bedroom at the other end, and wall to wall windows with a balcony overlooking the small city. 

“This is home for the next six months,” Isaac walks to the bar. “Can I pour you a drink?” 

“Glass of water will do,” Theo doesn’t want to put him through the trouble of making a cosmo or a martini, besides she’d already had two at the bar earlier. “Thanks for inviting me to dinner. It was really nice.”

“It was my pleasure,” Isaac hands her a drink and gestures for her to sit beside him. “I’ve been so busy with my work, I rarely get the pleasure of a woman’s company for dinner. And I must confess, it’s been ages since I’ve enjoyed someone’s company as much as I have enjoyed yours.”

“I had a really good time, too.”

“So what do you usually like to do on a night out?” He has one arm around her on the back of the sofa as he sips his brandy.

*Fuck strangers because my husband isn’t interested in me anymore.*

“I like a nice intimate dinner, a stroll through the park, but what I really enjoy is music, dancing, singing, you know... a little excitement.”

“Ah, the club scene?” He asks raising a brow.

“Sometimes.”

“Well let’s see...” Isaac opens a case on the coffee table and takes out a VR chip, opens his laptop and another device she doesn’t recognize. “How would you like to go to a jazz club, say Paris, pre World War 2?”

“Seriously,” Theo peers at him getting a little excited. “How real is it going to be? Am I going to be a cartoonish character in a comic drawn world?”

“No... everything around you will look and feel... real. I can make ‘you’ an avatar like mine.”

“You mean to make an avatar ‘of me’?”

 

“Absolutely.” Isaac pulls out a digital scanner and has her stand. “Smile, good, now turn... I apologize if it’s a bit invasive. It does sonographic scanning for accuracy... not that you will care to be anatomically accurate, but...” 

 

He sits down and inputs a series of codes.

“It’s okay, as long as I’m dressed in the game. 

It’s strange to her, after being so opposed to VR, to be watching the intricacies of how it works and knowing that the VR games are just the tip of the iceberg. This man fascinates her, she really likes him. And suddenly she has a strange feeling, a fluttering in her belly that’s more than just, he’s hot and I’m ready to get laid.

 

“Mind if I use your powder room?”

“Be my guest.”

Theo has to take a few minutes to freshen up, and think. This man was tall, gorgeous, rich, smart... and she was pretty sure he didn’t seem like the one-night stand type. 

“Theo, what are you doing?” She asks herself as she looks in the mirror.

The last thing she wanted to do is exactly what is happening. She’s catching feelings. This feels too personal, like they know too much about each other... like she wants to know more. If she left now she could still find a guy for a quick meaningless fuck.

“It’s getting kind of late...” she starts to say as she steps out of the bathroom.

“All done.” Isaac hands her a VR chip. He can see from the look on her face she’s having doubts. She looks as if she will make an excuse to leave. He worries that he’s bored her with all the technical mumbo jumbo or maybe the whole VR thing is a turnoff. He desperately wants her to stay and give it a chance... give him a chance.

“Maybe I shouldn’t...”

“It’s very simple really. Once you have it on, you won’t see or hear anything in the real world but you will feel anything that happens to you. And at any time if you want to leave, just say ‘exit game’. And I have advanced modes unavailable to the general public. I can allow us to experience an entire day in just a minute.”

He steps closer to her taking her free hand in his. He’s so tall he towers over her, looking down at her. Those damned blue eyes of his draw her in, making her heart race wildly.

“Okay,” Theo looks at the small grey chip. Such a tiny thing has blown up her entire world. And now she was about to try it for herself.

He sits the two of them down, staying right by her side. “Now, lay back and relax. Put the chip on, whenever you’re ready.”

“And we’ll only be gone for a minute?”

He nods. “I’ll go first. But don’t keep me waiting. Every 2.5 seconds...”

“Will feel like an hour,” Theo chuckles. “Don’t worry, I’m right behind you.”

She watches as he lays back and places the VR reader on his temple. He closes his eyes, himself finding the VRs eye contrast a bit alarming. She glances at the time, 10:35 pm. Here goes nothing.

~*~


	3. Chapter 3

CH3 ~

 

Astonishing. That’s the word that comes to Theo’s mind as her feet land on the sidewalk outside of a club. The words are written in French, the black and grey cars that line the street are all circa the mid-1930s. 

“Oh, shit,” she laughs as she sees her reflection in the window. She looks and feels like herself. She touches her face, her hands, down her body. It’s surreal. 

The piano and saxophone playing in the club catch her attention. She walks inside the lightly attended venue and sees Mr. Crane at the piano. 

“He’s good,” she thinks, if that’s actually him playing and not just the technology doing the work. 

He looks up giving her a half-cocked grin. She’s as beautiful as ever with her hair done up and a large flower pinned on the side. Her dress is shimmering, accenting her curves perfectly.

“You’re like a dream,” his deep voice draws her in, as does the sultry way he’s looking at her. 

“Is that really you playing,” she asks as she saunters over to the stage where he’s playing.

“This is all me,” He tinkers an arpeggio up the keys, before getting up and taking her to a seat at a table. 

The small band plays some old jazz tunes, some in French some in English, as they talk. There’s no need for drinks since they can’t really eat or drink here, a perimeter of the ap that is unnecessary she guesses. Even the aroma of the place is just a generic setting.

But his company is real, and he is genuinely interested in talking to her and getting to know her. She talks mostly about her past experiences with school and work, life before becoming a stay at home mom... he doesn’t need to know that, and surely he’ll walk away if he finds out.

The way he holds her hand, so delicately and intimately, the way he looks at her, with dreamy-eyed gazed, Theo almost doesn’t know how he could be like this with her, when her own husband has no interest.

 

“Sing something for me.”

“How do you know I can sing?”

“You said you enjoy it,” he takes her hand and walks her to the stage. 

“Doesn’t mean I’m good at it,” she gives him a sly half grin as he sits at the piano.

“As long as you are enjoying yourself, that’s all I care about,” he grins up at her. “Sing for me, beautiful.”

“Start me off, handsome,” she grins back at him, Sitting on a stool beside him, a mic was already adjusted for her.

He starts off a familiar tune, and an old favorite of hers, and she’s pleased that he knows it.

The musicians appeared around them as backup singers started

 

♫ ‘Anyone  
Anyone  
Anyone  
Anyone’♫

 

Abbie was all eyes for Isaac as she began…

♫ “You can blame me  
Try to shame me  
And still I'll care for you  
You can run around  
Even put me down  
Still I'll be there for you  
The world  
May think I'm foolish  
They can't see you  
Like I can  
Oh but anyone  
Who knows what love is  
Will understand” ♫

Isaac stands and takes her in his arms swaying as the musicians continue.

♫‘Anyone  
Anyone  
Anyone’♫

With Theo in his arms, now she’s singing just to him. And to him, she can see it in his eyes, he means it for her.

 

♫“I just feel so sorry (anyone)  
“For the ones  
Who pity me  
'Cause they just don't know  
(Anyone) Oh they don't what happiness love can be”♫

Isaac leans in as she softly hums out the rest of the song. Their noses gently touch, as he rocks her, pelvis pressed to her as they move in slow waves. His gentle touch sends shivers through her core.

 

♫“I know  
I know to ever let you go  
Oh, it's more than I could ever stand  
Oh, but anyone  
Who knows what love is  
Will understand...”♫

His hooded eyes fixate her until he can no longer resist. His lips find hers, her mouth already waiting, wanting that first touch of his lips, she gives in. 

They pause, hesitation as his eyes searching hers for permission. She gives it by pulling him down into another kiss. He takes her again.

His hands caress up her back and over her arms as he kisses her harder, deeper, with desperation neither had ever known before. 

He easily lifts her, carrying her to the stairs and up to the apartment above the club.

“I want you,” he moans desperately as he lays her on the bed. 

His lips are upon her again, as he gently slips the top of her dress off, kissing her neck and shoulders, attending to every inch of her body.

She feels a surging rush of warmth, that leaves her quivering for him. His hands, those damn hands, reach between her thighs, sliding her panties to the side finding her bud and dipping deep within her soft wet folds. 

Her hands slide down his slender chest, and abdomen. She can feel the silken hair below his belly and then... is this real? He’s thick and long. Her mind races wildly with anticipation.

He likes that, her petite hand wrapped around his throbbing manhood.

 

He lets out a heavy groan as she strokes, his lips find her lips again, she opens her mouth and spreads her legs inviting him in both places of. His tongue dances with hers, as his fingers play her, instinctively she rocks melodically against his hand. 

“Crane…” she breathily cries his name into his mouth as he makes her come for the first time. 

She’s clinging to him now, as if he is the only thing left to hold her steady in this wild uncertain world.

“I want you,” his deep heated moan makes her weak.

“You want me?” She’s trying to gain clarity in this clouded mist of lust and desire. “Me?”

“Yes,” he kisses her again, but she pulls away.

Her breaths are heavy, labored as the feeling of pleasure still waves through her but, “This... this isn’t me... this isn’t real.”

“Did that not feel real to you? Because when you touched me, when we kissed, that felt so real. This is just as real as anything out there. This is you and me, and what’s happening between us right now.” He places her hand over his heart and she can feel it racing.

“No,” Theo snatches her hand away as she gets up from the bed, pulling her dress back on. “I want to feel something real. I want real passion and desire. I want a man to want me, not some fake avatar.”

She runs out of the apartment before he can stop her. Before she even realizes it, Theo is standing outside of the Paris night club with nowhere to go. She can’t just run home because, none of this is real.

“Abbie,” Isaac runs out behind her and sees her standing in the street under the fake moonlit night sky.

She looked back at this tall beautiful man, shirtless, barefoot, desperately wanting her, but she just can’t.

Then she remembers, “Exit game.”

~*~


	4. Chapter 4

4 ~

 

 

She rises with a start, he’s lying still beside her. The time... still 10:35 pm, not even the minute has passed, though it feels like they were gone at least three hours. 

He opens his eyes, “Abbie wait...” he reaches for her but she pulls away.

“I have to go...” she insists this time.

“Why are you leaving?”

“I told you. This wasn’t what I was looking for,” she pulls off the VR and hands it to him. “This isn’t what I want.”

“You want someone to desire you,” he easily clears the distance between them, standing over her, she looks up into those deep blue eyes.

 

“You want someone who feels a fire burning deep in their core for you...” he caresses her cheek and chin in his large rough hands, gently brushing his thumb across her soft full lips. 

When he touches her she feels a quiver in her belly, and she becomes weak in the knees.

“You want someone who once they’ve touched you, and loved you, now cannot imagine a life without you.”

“Yes,” she confesses in a soft whisper “But I want that for me... in this body, flaws and all. I want to be enough.”

“You are more than enough for me...”

Their lips meet again, this time it’s real flesh on flesh, the feeling is the same, warm wet, inviting. But this time he is having his first real taste of her, and in this moment he knows, he will never have enough of her.

She feels, once again, the rush of warmth but this time she can taste him. His scent was faint and generic in the VR world, but here, his scent is light sandalwood and natural musk, it makes her wet with desire. 

He kisses her with an eagerness and hunger, as he undresses her exposing her soft chestnut skin. Beautiful full breasts fall against her chest, causing hot blood to rise within him 

She pulls him out of his pressed white dress shirt, her hands drag it off one lean shoulder then the other. His skin is warm and smooth, hard and lean. Her eyes trail down his body his tight chest and narrow hips. The dark trail of hair below his navel disappears beneath his trousers where a sizable bulge grows thick. 

His lips are upon her lips again, then devouring her neck, tasting her, touching her, wanting her. She yields to him as he presses her back to the wall.

“I want to taste you treasure.” he moans deeply.

Her heart is racing as he kisses down her body. The lights are on, he can see all of her, every curve, every scar, every flaw... he’s exploring her body with his lips and his fingertips, his hands touching her in places that send shivers through her being, and yet his thirst and yearning never subside.

He goes down on one knee with her legs spread wide, he’s tasting her, lapping as if she is giving him sweet nectar. She keens and coos, her head tips back against the wall, he feels so good. Her hands rummage through his hair, filtering through soft dark locks, pulling him into her.

Sensual and satisfying, it’s so intense, she reaches the peek and lets herself go. Bliss, quivering, coming, soaking him, he’s taking her. Her body falls forward as she goes limp in his arms. 

He carries her to the bed, lays her bare, naked before him. His tongue darts out lustfully across his slim lips, as his hooded eyes gaze over her every curve. Her hair cascades around her like a dark golden crown. Beautiful. “I cannot wait to be inside you.”

 

She’s watching him too, as she lays splayed and fully exposed. She bites her lip hard as she gazes at him removing his belt.

A soft whimper escapes her lips as he springs forth. The game did not exaggerate, he really is thick, long, throbbing hard and ready.

He lowers himself upon her, wedging himself between her thighs. Slowly he sinks as deep as he could go inside of her, stretching her, filling her, as a soft keening hum escapes her lips. He groans heavy at the sensation of being inside her.

He kisses her deep as her mouth parts for him, still moaning as he begins slow and deep. 

He hooks one leg over his forearm and pushes deeper inside, “My god you feel glorious.” He groans huskily.

She hardly thinks she can take it but it feels so damned good. Her coos and purrs are like music singing out to him, driving his desire and want. He goes faster bringing her close then slowing again. Her nails rake down his back grasping his ass, feeling the tight flex and release with each of his thrusts. The way he’s fucking her sends wild tremors coursing through her nerves, evoking sensations she had never known or ever felt before.

But for him, he’s no longer fucking her, he’s making love to her. Deep and intense, their bodies glisten as a tiny bead of sweat drips from his brow. They are pressed together unseperating motions, but move rhythmically in an intense grind. She rises up into him, he falls down into her. Harder faster, until he feels her walls constrict around his length and soak him. 

”Oh fu.... Crane.... yessss....” Her mind and body give over to rapture and bliss, a euphoric joy washing over her. He too gives in to exhilaration, filling her as his body tightens and trembles.

They stay there, connected, kissing through weighty strained breaths.

~*~


	5. Chapter 5

5 ~

 

It's her second time with Isaac tonight, Theo remembers the condom this time. It’s wild and fun, she’s on top of him, grinding down hard. He’s grasping her hips and thrusting up hard into her. The way she tosses her head back, drives him mad. 

She’s loud, moaning panting, uninhibited. He likes that.

He rises up, touches her breasts, caressing them, leaning up to kiss them, suckling at her nipples, the sensation blows her mind. They hold each other as she rocks in his lap, he kisses her neck. She’s panting, he’s moaning and ready. He comes with her.

She collapses beside him as they recover through heavy breaths. Her smile bright, her eyes, tired but filled with joy.

“That was...” she has no words.

“I have never felt so alive,” Isaac breathes heavy and turns to her. 

Her eyes glanced down his slim toned body, she still could hardly believe just how nicely endowed he was, not to mention what an incredible lover he was.

“What is on your mind.”

“You,” she’s smiling again. “You surprised me. I wasn’t expecting to like you this much.”

“I really like you too...” he gently runs his hands down the soft skin of her arm and up again.

“It’s these tender little touches, she loves so much.

 

“Yeah... I wish I didn’t have to go,” Theo pouts.

“Then don’t go,” he leans across her, tenderly kissing at her nipples. “Stay here.”

“I can’t...” she giggles as his beard tickles her soft flesh. She carefully flitters her fingers through his dark hair. “I have to shower and sleep before I leave in the morning.”

He looks up at her with bright blue, irresistible eyes. “You can shower and have your respite here. I was hoping we could have breakfast in the morrow...”

She’s quiet now, her smile fades as she looks away. She has to go back to Danny and say goodbye to this.

“What is it?”

“I have to go home, Isaac... This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Isaac sat up now studying her expression. What has changed in her, he wonders. Something has brought back the sadness behind those beautiful amber eyes.

“Talk to me, Treasure,” he cups her chin, coaxing her to look at him.

She tries to look him in the eye, but she looks away again.

“I wasn't supposed to have feelings,” she takes a deep breath. 

“I know this seems sudden, but I’m falling for you, and I gather, you feel it too. How is this not a good thing?” he wonders.

“It’s not good because...” she takes a deep breath and looks him in the eye now. It’s time to tell the truth, because this has gone too far. “I have to go home because... I’m married.”

Isaac feels as if he’s been gutted, as if his heart has been yanked clear from his chest. Married? She’s married. His hand drops from her chin as he looks down letting out a disappointed breath. “I see.”

“Yeah, so... I’m gonna go.”

“What was this, Abbie?” he asks, failing to hide his hurt. “If you’re married and so bent on going back home... why were you even here?”

“First, Abigail is my middle name. My name is Theodora, everyone calls me Theo. As for the rest... I used to be a teacher, but now I’m a stay at home mom with a five-year-old son and a twenty-month-old baby girl. And I’m here because, I think my husband is in love with his best friend Karl. I found out on his 39th birthday. We struggled for months with how to handle it and finally, we compromised. So starting on his 40th birthday, my husband and I go our separate ways for the night, so that he and Karl can carry on an affair, masquerading as VR Avatars.”

“What?” Isaac furrows his brow in near disbelief.

“Yeah, he uses Lance, and Karl uses Roxette from the game Striking Vipers X. Danny, my husband won’t admit they’re in love, but now they want to fuck so badly that the only way to keep my family intact is to make this compromise. Once a month now, they play their game, and I get to be free.”

Isaac took her hand as she went through the whole sorted mess. He can tell this is probably her first time telling her story, and his heart breaks for her.

“I never once cheated, you know. I would have been faithful... but now... I don’t even recognize this life that he’s thrust upon me. I’m like damn, man, you really blew up my life for a fake ass video game avatar. I can’t compete with perfection. Roxette has smooth ivory white skin, perfect blond hair, those beautiful Asian eyes, and she’s flawless. Of course, he would prefer that over this.” Theo runs her hands down her body.

“You’re husband is a bloody damned fool. You are incredible, smart, and so beautiful... I’ve never seen a smile as radiant and pure as yours. And you’re real. The fact that he would rather fuck a video game Avatar, is beyond my comprehension,” Isaac shook his head. “Now I understand your aversion to the VRs.”

“Yeah, it’s been a real mind fuck. Sometimes I think, I’m not going to do this anymore... the one night stands. But then I know I’ll never feel that passion and ecstasy that comes from having a man who is in love with me and devoted to me, ever again.”

Isaac takes her hand to his lips, placing a tender kiss, “You deserve to have that. You can have that, with me. Let me be here for you...”

“Then it wouldn’t be a one night stand anymore. I’m afraid after tonight, we have to go our separate ways.”

“So he can have an ongoing affair with one man, but you cannot.”

“It’s just easier this way, since my liaisons are with real men... if feelings get involved because I’m seeing one man...”

“I think we’re past that now. My feelings are already involved. And I know yours are as well.”

“That’s not a good thing, Isaac... I don’t know if I can give you more than what we have tonight.”

Isaac looks at the time. It’s after 2 am and he’s not ready to let her go.

“Come back to Paris with me.”

“What?” Theo lets out a soft chuckle. “You mean in the video game, like my husband does?”

“Not a video game,” Isaac corrects her with a sly smile. “It’s an Educational ap... come on love, I can still adjust the time so that a minute is a month in the VR world...”

“Whoa... as nice as that sounds, I can’t be away from my babies for a month, even if it’s not real time. I’d miss them too much.”

“Okay, ten days... just you and me in Paris, or anywhere you want to go.”

“It won’t be real, Isaac.”

“It will be the two of us getting to know each other, spending time together, singing, dancing, making love...”

“Everything will look real, and maybe even feel real, and we could get to know each other better, but... it’s the small details, like smell and taste... it’s what makes it all seem so... I don’t know... less than to me.”

“You’re right,” Isaac hopped up out of the bed and gives her a kiss. “You rest here for a bit... I have work to do.”

“Waite... work?”

Theo snuggles under the duvet, taking in a deep breath of his scent on the pillow. She watches him work in the distance for a few minutes, until her eyes grow heavy and she drifts off to sleep.

~

He wakes her an hour later. She’s a bit disoriented at first, then remembers she fell asleep in his bed.

He crawled under the duvet with her and hands her the VR chip.

 

“Sorry, this took a little longer than I anticipated.” 

“What time is it?” She asks with a yawn and a stretch.

“Half past three.”

“I have to leave soon...”

“Please, ten days will only be ten minutes. We’ll only stay longer if you wish too, and I promise you can leave at any time... And if you tire of Paris, we can go anywhere your heart desires, please. I have a surprise waiting for you.”

“Ten days there... and it’ll only be ten minutes here?”

 

“I promise.” He takes his VR and places it on his temple. “I’m going to go... I hope to see you in Paris.”

He takes her hand and Theo watches as he lays down and closes his eyes.

“Here goes nothing.” She’s doing this.

~

Theo lands on her feet and suddenly she’s in Paris again. It’s the middle of the day and she’s on the street of a small cafe. The first thing she notices is taking a deep breath and the deliciously warm aroma of the bakery next door.

“You decided to come,” Isaac's deep tone caught her attention, bringing a smile to her face that only he could elicit. 

“I couldn’t resist.” She turns to see him walk towards her with two ice cream cones in his hand. “What’s this?”

“This is your surprise. Rocky road or pecan praline?”

 

“Hmm... pecan praline... but I thought that we couldn’t...”

“Just taste...” he handed her the cone.

She takes a small bite and licks her lips, her brow furrow and eyes widen, pleased as the flavors hit what should be her taste buds. It’s cool and sweet, and tastes... “Mmm... this is so good... how did you do this?”

“I adjusted the parameters and input a few new features...” he steps closer to her. “Including this.”

He leans in, giving her a tender kiss. The first thing she notices is his soft sandalwood musk scent, and she goes weak. His mouth opens and hers instinctively does the same as their tongues mingle, his taste... it’s his taste... a swirling joy comes over her as the intensity rises. 

As their lips part, she smiles, momentarily still in a haze.

He takes her hand in his and the two walk down the street, hand in hand. For the next ten minutes... or ten days, she will be all his.

~*~


	6. Ch 6

~6

 

She’s floating as if something deep inside her has been awakened from its slumber and is now filling her life with sunlight. For the entire ride home, she finds herself grinning, giddy even. 

She remembers the way he took her hand and gently kissed it, the way he held her, and didn’t want to let her go. She remembers the feel of his tall lean body between her thighs, the way felt inside her. Theo pressed her hand over her mouth shaking her head in near disbelief of her joy. She’d forgotten what falling in love felt like. It feels like a dream.

“Hello,” Theo call’s out as she enters the house.

It’s starkly quiet, which she finds a bit unnerving. They agreed that Danny would pick up the kids from Jemma’s so that she could go out of town to have discreet sexual liaisons. But she can tell immediately from the still quiet that the kids are not home. 

She makes her way to the family room and finds him laying back on the sofa, eyes open and distorted, still in the VR game.

“Danny,” she shakes him. “Danny, come on.”

~

They were getting it on hot and banging hard after another sparing match led to them tumbling on the ground and fucking.

When they are in the game fucking, Danny really sees himself as Lance and Karl as Roxette. It’s just easier for him this way. He still isn’t ready to admit that he is bisexual. The kiss in the rain had stirred something within him, something he wasn’t prepared to feel. It’s Roxette he is physically attracted to. And Karl is his best friend. The time they spend together their long talks mean the world to him. He needs this.

And Karl needs this too, more than Danny even understands. Years ago, Karl recognized something in Danny that he didn’t even see. When they first decided to be roommates, he wanted that big room with Danny. He knew Danny liked Theo, and thought maybe the three of them could get something going... but almost instantly Danny and Theo paired off.

After Danny and Theo got married and started a family, Karl backed off, just kind of let that relationship fade. It was too painful to deal with at the time. But when Striking Vipers X was released, he saw an opportunity to rekindle things and hopefully open Danny’s eyes. 

And it worked in a way. Using Roxette Avar had opened the door to this unconventional romance. But Karl was ready to admit he loved Danny. Danny wasn’t there yet, still determined to be a straight man and devoted husband.

“Oh god yeah... fuck my wet pussy!” Karl cries out as his Avatar lays spread wide for Danny, who’s drilling him for the third time tonight. “Tell me how good it feels!”

“Uhhh, you feel so damned good!” Danny grunts as he thrusts.

“You ain’t never had pussy as good as this!” Karl declares. “Fuck it hard!” 

Danny suddenly feels a shake or a shove and he realizes it’s something in the outside world. He stops.

“Baby what’s wrong?” Karl asks.

“I don’t know... aw shit! What time is it?” Danny jumps up and fastens his pants.

“I don’t know... come on man, we’re not done.”

“I have to go. I think it’s Theo.”

“Danny...” Karl wants to stop him.

“Sorry, man... next month.”

“You’ll ask her, right,” Karl gets up leaving Roxette’s breasts fully exposed and puts his arms around Danny. “One night a month is not enough.”

“I’ll ask, promise,” Danny kisses the Roxette Avatar caressing those firm, milky breasts one last time before he leaves. “Exit game.”

~

Danny awakens and finds Theo hanging up her cell phone. She looks at him with a side eye, she’s not angry, she is just really missing her babies. “You done?”

“Hey, babe, sorry we... I lost track of time.”

“You were supposed to get the kids from Jemma’s two hours ago. She’s heading out anyway and says she’ll bring the kids now.” Theo holds out her hand for the VR chip. 

He hands it to her and she puts it away. It’s obvious he hasn’t eaten or had a drink all night. Everything in the house is exactly the way she left it. 

“You hungry? I could fix you something.”

“Yeah, actually I’m starving,” Danny is surprised she’s not upset. “You don’t mind? I thought you might be tired.”

“Mm... I’m good.” Theo bustles about the kitchen, pulling out eggs, cheese and ham and chives.

At first Danny thinks she’s going to make an omelet, but she then takes out bread and. She’s humming about and he could swear she’s... smiling. When is the last time he smiled when she wasn’t playing with her kids or hanging out with the girls?

“What is this?” Danny asks.

“I’m making Croque Madame,” just saying the name brings back a pleasant memory and whimsy smile graces her face.

“Smells good.” 

“Hope you like it. I figured you might want something different instead of the same boring shit, all the time.”

“Theo...” he feels the sting.

“That wasn’t a jab... I actually mean it. It’s good to try new things.”

She hums again “ ♪Hmmm.... anyone who knows what love is will understand♪ .”

As she whisks the crème sauce her mind drifts back to roughed hands around her waist caressing her skin, soft whiskers brushing her cheek as a smooth baritone accent hums in her ear. Their bodies sway, and she simpers, leaning back into him... Isaac taught her many things. 

“I take it you had a good night?” Danny asks. His voice brings Theo out of her daydream and back to the task at hand.

“I did,” she finishes and places the French ham and egg sandwich on the table for him.

Danny takes a bite and can’t help but moan softly at the taste, as the flavor hits him. “Mmm... Damn, You always cook good but this is… this is new. You take a cooking class last night?”

“No questions,” Theo reminds him as she cleans the mess.

“Sorry again about not getting the kids,” he offers.

“It’s okay. Jemma said it’s no problem. Just don’t let it happen again. I have to go out of town to make this work... unless you want everyone in town to know our business.”

 

“Yeah... I definitely want us to be discrete. Last thing we need is you fucking someone I work with or from the preschool.”

Theo almost rolls her eyes. This wasn’t her plan. And it wasn’t her idea to be out there looking like the one who broke the marriage vows. 

“I’m not complaining,” Danny adds. “I know you have needs, and I want to keep you happy so, whatever we gotta do right...”

“Right...” Theo lets out a sigh.

“It’s just, you know... me and Karl... we get one night to play the game... just a few short hours a month.”

“That’s the deal,” Theo reminds him. “We already changed it to give him more time with you.”

“It’s so we can hang out together, Theo... it’s complicated. You know that.”

“Yeah, I know, Danny, but once a month is more than enough. If we’re going to have any semblance of a relationship, a marriage, we have to set boundaries.”

“Will you at least think about it? Look maybe just Friday nights. Theo, clearly this has been good for you too.”

She doesn’t respond before the doorbell rings interrupting their conversation.

“Jemma’s here with the kids,” Theo heads for the door leaving him without an answer.

“Theo, please...”

She turns, ready to shut it down, but when she looks at him she can’t. “I’ll think about it, but for now, the deal stays the same.”

 

~

“There’s my babies,” Theo lights up when she opens the door and Tyler runs into her arms. 

She holds him… it feels as if it’s been ages since she’s held them. She takes Sasha in her arms and cuddles her close to her chest. 

“I missed you two so much.” Theo doesn't let them go. “Thank you for bringing them home.”

“It’s no problem. You two must really be enjoying date-night,” Jemma gives her a wink. “Anyway, I was just going to take them to the park with mine if you two need more time.”

“Well, if you’re going anyway, I’ll take Tyler and Sasha. It’ll be fun. I’ve really missed going to the park with my babies.”

“We just went three days ago,” Jemma laughs.

“Right,” Theo laughs. Being in VR on alter time was a trip. “Okay, let me grab a few things and we can go.”

“You want me to go with you guys,” Danny asks as he gives Tyler a quick hug and takes baby Sasha.

“No, I know you’re tired. Get some rest. We’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

“K,” Danny watched her pack a bag for the kids quickly. He’s a bit taken aback that she has little interest in being with him.

“Say bye to daddy,” she tells Tyler as she takes Sasha from him again and hurries off.

~

 

Three days in 1930’s Paris, two days in modern day Los Angeles doing the club scene, 2 days in Ancient Egypt, ending with three days on the beaches of Madagascar... being with Isaac had been like a dream for Theo. He was so much fun to be with, even when they were doing nothing but being lazy on the beach. His caring touches, attention, and devotion, moved her in a way she hadn’t felt in such a long time.

As Theo showers, she can almost feel his touch, massaging and kissing her neck and back as the hot water rushes over her body. She has to touch herself to quell the ache of missing him.

She can still feel how good he fucked her when they showered together. The thought of him sends a tingling thrill coursing straight to her chasm. He isn’t even there and yet she is getting wet, wanting him.

Danny’s already in bed by the time Theo gets out of the shower. Normally he’d be half asleep, but on days that she returned from liaisons, her he tries to wait up, tries to make her feel that he’s interested. After all, she was giving him a night to spend with Karl, a night to play their game.

But tonight she crawls onto her side, tucks herself in and closes her eyes.

“G’night, Danny.”

Every time she closes her eyes, he is there… the thought, image, essence of Isaac Crane was haunting her being, occupying even the recesses of her mind.

The memory calling to her now is of their last time making love, just after they exited the VR world, knowing that they only had a couple of hours left. It was the real flesh on flesh lovemaking between two lovers that she missed the most.

*

“It feels so damn good inside you,” that baritone accent drives her mad, and the way he makes love to her, rocks her to her core.

“I want you so damn bad,” Theo’s words are true as she wraps her legs around his lean body and clings to him. 

She doesn’t know if she can see him again, if it will be a violation to carry on with one man? Or will it even matter? No questions asked. That is the deal.

 

“I don’t want to lose you,” his voice is deep and soft as he thrust inside of her, over and over again. God, he makes her feel good.  
*

 

She lets out a soft moan as she almost hears him, feels him... as if he’s there, making her squirm and press her thighs together as she lays in bed beside her husband.

It’s then she feels real hands caressing and rubbing her ass. Danny presses up against her from behind and he’s already starting to get hard.

“I thought you’d be tired,” she mumbles, not yet turning to him.

“I can tell you need a little something, so I got you,” he tugs down her pajama shorts.

“Okay,” she can feel his manhood now harder against her bare ass. “But you should probably wear a condom.”

This is the first time she’s told him that and he isn’t sure what she means. One thing is for sure, if he wondered before he now knows, she is definitely fucking other men.

“Why, you’re not using protection?” He pulls away slightly annoyed.

“I am, but sometimes things happen. We should just be extra careful is all.” Theo points. “I have some in my bag.”

“Fuck,” he mumbles as he gets up. “I haven’t had to wear a damned condom in 11 years...”

“You know what, just forget it.” Theo is tired and in no mood to hear his complains or accept his half-assed sexual gestures.

“No, it’s fine. I don’t want you complaining again about how I don’t touch you or fuck you anymore.”

“Go to sleep, Danny. I’m good,” Theo pulls up her bottoms and bundles under the covers. “I don’t want your pity fucks anymore.”

~*~


	7. Ch 7

Ch 7 ~

 

_“Oohhh fuck... Crane,” she moans as she grinds winding down into him._

__

__

_The low guttural moan that escapes him, sends lightning coursing through her belly. Her walls clench around his sex as he holds her hips firm. Her hands run up his body, tiny fingers press against his pale nipples, then down the thin trail of dark hair._

__

__

_He’s so thick and long inside her, she can feel it flex and throb against her walls as he thrusts up. Her eyes close as she arches back and her head teeters. She can let go, because he’s got her, holds her, she can take in every sensation as their bodies ebb and rise, flowing rhythmically together._

__

__

_Through a haze, she sees his blue eyes gaze up at her, taking in the sight of soft chestnut breasts bouncing before him._

__

__

_She quivers as one form strong hand graces up her soft skin, shutters when he cups her breast, whimpers as he pinches her turgid nipple. Her hand eases down her own neck meeting his hand on her, encouraging him, wanting him, needing him..._

Theo feels a bump against her leg from behind and the sound of Tyler making airplane noises draws her away from the daydream. Her hand is subconsciously over her breast and she pulls it away quickly.

“No running in the kitchen, baby,” she calls after him.

Life, for the most part, has gone back to the way it was. Quiet, still, mundane, boring... well she still finds joy in caring for her kids. Their laughter and smiles, it was always enough before and she supposes it is now. And Danny is still kind, calm, he seems content. He says he still loves her.

But one thing has changed for Theo. Always basking in the recesses of her mind, is Isaac Crane. It’s moments when she’s alone and her mind is free to drift, she always goes back to him. It wasn’t just the sex... mind blowing, steamy hot, ethereal sex... It’s the way he tipped her chin up and brushed his thumb over her lips when he wanted to kiss her, the way he touched her, as if he adored every inch of her. 

She knows she has to stop thinking about him. She knows she probably should not see him again. It just wouldn’t be right, especially with the way she is feeling for him. 

And when she forces the thoughts away, that’s when a quiet sadness tries to muddle its way in. She forces that away to. She has two beautiful children. Danny is kind and a good provider. That should be enough. She should be great full that he wants to keep their marriage. Other men would have walked away without compromising.

 

She finishes preparing dinner, setting the plates on the table, then gathers up Tyler and Sasha.

“Hey, Baby, dinner’s ready,” she says as she walks by Danny.

He’s preoccupied for the moment, watching an interview. When Theo hears the voice on the screen, the deep accented baritone makes her heart swoon hard dropping to her belly, drawing her eyes up.

Her breath is an almost audible gasp.

He looks handsome, sharp, in a blazer. His dark locks slicked back, not too neatly, his beard is thick but trimmed close. Dark rimmed glasses frame his eyes making them bluer, if that were possible, like the Carolina sky, and she feels as if she is light as air drifting into them.

*

_“Virtual reality technology is not meant to take the place of real world and life experiences, but with these innovations, we can make available wonders and experiences of the world that many would never have access to in their lifetimes,. Children can travel Mayan ruins and the pyramids of Egypt, right from their classrooms.” Isaac Crane sat on a panel with an interviewer and one of his colleagues._

__

__

_“That’s incredible,” The interviewer leans in. “So when can we expect to see Virtual Exploration and Travel?”_

__

__

_“VET is set to launch in two months. It will be available in select schools, universities, and museums.”_

__

__

_“And how long before we can have this in our homes?”_

__

__

_“That might be a while. Some users find the Virtual Reality games to be highly addictive. I believe we should be cautious and not roll out the advancements into the home before society is ready.”_

__

__

_“So you’ve seen the numbers that have come out about games like Striking Vipers X?”_

__

__

 

_“Indeed. Our goal is to enhance lives and the human experience. My colleagues and I do not want to ruin lives and families by allowing people to become so addicted to virtual pleasures that they lose sight of their actual lives.”_

*

“Can you believe this condescending prick,” Danny scoffs. “Just because he’s the creator of the tech, doesn’t give him the right to dictate how we use it. Dude’s getting rich off us, then gonna try and treat us like children who can’t control ourselves.”

“I’m sure he’s just trying to make sure the tech is safe...” Theo hardly paid him any mind. She was fixed on the voice and the face of Isaac Crane, a one night stand that turned into a virtual adventure that she could not shake. 

~

“I’ll get those,” Theo offers when she returns from putting the kids to bed. 

Danny is loading the dishwasher as she takes a glass from his hand. “You sure? I don’t mind helping.”

“I got it,” Theo gives him a smile and moves past him.

“Is Jenna on board for Friday?” he asks. 

“Actually, my parents want to take the kids for the whole weekend. They’ll pick them up Friday and we don’t have to pick them up until Sunday night.”

“Wow, that gives us the whole weekend to ourselves.”

“Yeah,” Theo smiles. She wonders if he might actually want to do something with her have some fun. “I was thinking we could use the time...”

“That’d be great. I mean a weekend is better than one night to play the game. And you deserve a break from the kids and the house.” Danny was only thinking about having an entire weekend to play Striking Vipers.

Theo feels as if her heart is being ripped from her chest all over again.

*Well shit!*

 

~~~

The music is loud tonight at the hotel bar. Yes his hotel, but she doesn’t go to his room. She’s on the very edge right now of what to do, of what happens next. 

If she goes up to his suite, she’s making the decision to step outside of the new bounds of her marriage. Last month was one night with a stranger. To do it again, with the same man... that would be an affair, wouldn’t it? 

The feelings are already there and she knows the answer. Otherwise, she would have chosen another bar. Her heart is swarming nervously in her gut... she hopes he comes. She doesn’t know if she can bring herself to just go up to his room, no matter how badly she wants to. So, if Isaac doesn’t show up at the bar, then that’s it... it’s over. 

She sways to the music as she sits at the end of the bar sipping her skinny martini. It’s not her usual spot, front and center. Tonight she’s almost hidden, but has a full view of the bar and dance floor. 

She’s done away with the sensible sophisticated dresses. Tonight it’s a slinky green spaghetti strap dress with a platinum skirt. Her hair is darker now, but still blond at the tips, and she looks not a day over twenty-five. 

Her petite figure is hidden behind the bar, but not cleavage, her smile, or her long bare toned legs crossed daintily, showing off her tiny ankles and strappy gold low heeled sandals.

“Hi there. You alone tonight?” A gorgeous young man of Middle Eastern descent takes the empty seat beside her.

“I am at the moment.” Theo smiles.

He smiles back, large dark eyes lined with thick dark lashes look her up and down. “Can I buy you another?”

“I’m good for now,” Theo doesn’t want to get drunk. 

“Name’s Raj... and what’s yours if you don’t mind me asking.”

“Abbie,” Theo has her alias ready. She blushes a bit and looks down at her drink. He’s cute, really he’s stunning for a man, but he’s not what she wants. 

“Nice to meet you, Abbie. I can’t believe a woman as pretty as you is alone tonight.”

Theo looks up and that’s when she sees him, watching her. His tall lean body cuts a striking figure leaning against the wall, disappearing and re-emerging behind the small throng of dancing partygoers. 

“It’s complicated,” she grins briefly at Raj, but her gaze goes back to Isaac. Now two young women are upon him, flirting, trying to coerce him into a dance. 

It takes Raj a few minutes into a conversation before he realizes she isn’t hearing a word he’s saying. Her eyes and mind are fixed on the gentleman leaning against the wall.

“I said what do you do for a living?” he repeated.

“Sorry... I’m in a weird headspace tonight,” Theo tries to make an excuse. Not that she cares really.

“I’ll leave you to it then,” he nods and walks off. 

She sees him walking through the small crowd, heading her way. Her eyes flitter down away from his direction as she takes the last sip of her drink.

“This seat taken?”

“Don’t think so,” Theo shrugs, hiding her smile as she looks off into the crowd.

He sits close, she breathes in and exhales. Damn he smells good.

“I couldn’t help but notice you the moment I walked in.”

“You noticed me, with all these people, huh?” Theo is game to play along.

“Indeed,” He turns to her, his blue eyes lovingly regard her. “You have the most exquisite lips and alluring eyes I’ve ever seen.”

“Wow...” the word is barely audible, she has to look away from the intensity of his gaze. “Thank you.”

“I’m Isaac Crane, by the by... and you are, if I might ask?”

“Name’s Abbie.”

 

“Abbie.... that’s a lovely name. Might I buy you a drink?”

“Sure.” She smiles and nods.

Isaac waves at the bartender, “Balalaika... two.”

“Okay,” Theo grins. “Fancy way to say Vodka Boxcar.”

“Are you impressed?”

“Little bit, Yeah,” she gives him a coy half grin. “That was not bad... not too corny.”

“I’m really not very good at pick up lines and such.”

“You could have fooled me,” Theo cannot stop smiling as the bartender hands them their drinks.

“I haven’t had one of these in a while. How’d you know these Used to be my favorite?”

“I know exactly what you like and what you’ve been missing. I want to give you everything you need,” Isaac raises a brow “I missed you.”

“I missed you to, Crane.”

“Can I touch you?” His gaze is so intense.

Theo looks up at him and nods.

She gasps softly at the heat of his touch, of long rough fingers gripping her knee and sliding up her thigh, just to the place where he can trace the lace of her panties up and down her slit. She loses her breath, loses herself. Fuck, he just made her wet.

His other hand gently muses across her collar, tracing up her neck, her chin, blue eyes almost staring into her soul. His thumb traces her lips, drawing her mouth open wantonly, and he places a tender kiss there.

He leans in, warm breath against the nape of her neck, the lobe of her ear, sends a hot thrill down her body. “I cannot get you out of my head, how sweet you taste... how good it feels to be inside you...”

~

 

“Ohh... fu...huh huh...” she’s panting, barely breathing.

She was in a dizzying state of bless after he ate her pussy so good she came in his mouth. Now he has her against the wall, both legs up over his long toned forearms. He’s buried deep now, long thick stretching her. She can’t think, only feel, how deep he’s fucking her, how desperately he wants her. Her mind is a blur and her body is on fire. Every part of her feels overcome. They come, breath heavy, he holds her.

~

 

She had with him the kind of intimacy a married woman shouldn’t have with another man. When they showered, he touched her in places her husband hadn’t touched her in years. She’s shy at first, and he understands, he takes his time. He’s gentle and loving. And he wants her to touch him too. He wants her to see how his body reacts to being close to her. He wants her to see how much she is desired.

After they shower together, they lay naked in his bed. Her head is gently on his chest. And he touches her still, his fingers gliding delicately over her shoulder. It’s almost one in the morning, but neither can sleep. Instead they talk, find out what each other had done during their month apart.

“If he wants to change the deal to once a week, why don’t you?” Isaac asks.

“It feels like, I don’t know... like there wouldn’t be anything left to stay for. Like we’d be going through the motions throughout the week and then giving in to what we really want on the weekend.”

Isaac smiles at the thought that she really wants him. “What do you want Theo?”

“I wanted the marriage I had. Now... I want to be happy. I want my kids to be happy. I just don’t know how my marriage works anymore, when Danny wants an Avatar more than he wants me.”

“I am so sorry that this game has caused you harm.”

“It’s not your fault,” Theo pecks a kiss on his chest. “We saw your interview. You looked good.”

“I thoroughly pissed off my colleagues. They don’t like me talking about regulations and high addiction rates. It’s bullocks for the bottom line.”

“Well, I appreciate that you put integrity and safety over profits. People are going to be blown away... especially with the amount of time they can spend away in the VR world.”

“Oh... heavens no. Time dilation is not part of the program we’ll be presenting. The world is not ready for it. Not without extreme limitations and restrictions.”

“And your colleagues are okay with that?”

“On this they have no choice. I’m the only one who has been able to code time dilation thus far.”

“Even without the time dilating thing, it’s going to be amazing.”

“I’m on the brink of some truly amazing discoveries in VR technology,” Isaac shifts and looks at her quietly. There’s something he wants to tell her and now is the time. “Will you come with me, into the VR ap?”

“Sure, but we don’t have to rush. I have the whole weekend to spend with you if you want me to.”

“I most ardently wish to spend every moment I can in your company, right here, in the real world. But... there is something I want to show you... need to tell you.”

“Okay,” Theo furrows her brow. He sounds serious and she wonders what it could be.

~

“We’re here,” Isaac extends his hands to her as they arrive into the virtual world. A modern styled beach house sits on a green lawn just yards away from the coastline. Seagulls sing their song as small waves wash up on the beach. 

She’s in a lovely white sundress and sandals. It almost feels real, right down to the warmth of the sun on her skin and the chill from the sea breeze.

He’s in jeans and sneakers with a striped casual shirt, channeling his inner cool nerd boy, which Theo finds amusing. 

 

“Where are we exactly?” She asks.

“This is a replica of my home. On the coast of East Sussex.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Come,” he walks close with her, hand in hand, their fingers entwined.

Once inside they sit in front of a widescreen monitor. 

“You brought me all the way here to Netflix and chill?” Theo jokes.

“Not exactly,” he smiles sheepishly as he pulls her to sit snug beside him. “I come here sometimes to get a break from work and meetings. When I miss you, I pull up the saved data from our time in VR.”

Isaac rattles off a code out loud along with a date and time, and a visual appears on the monitor of the two of them dancing in Paris during her last visit.

“How do you have this?”

“All game and ap data are saved in our cloud for research and safety purposes. You just need to have the right codes to get access. I sometimes watch ours like those old home videos. You don’t mind do you?”

“No, it’s sweet.”

“I also very often watch these,” Isaac switched to another video of him pushing a little red headed girl, with striking pale green eyes, on a swing. “This is my daughter Sophie.”

“You have a daughter? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Because of her mother? You told me you were widowed, but you didn’t want to ruin the mood by talking about it.”

“My wife and daughter were in a terrible car accident. And the reason I didn’t mention Sophie is because, she’s been in a coma since she was five.”

“Five? The girl in this video is at least nine...”

“Well, you see, the accident was four years ago. My wife had a DNR but with Sophie... when she slipped into a coma, I couldn’t let her go. She has been my greatest motivation in developing a virtual world and the time dilation technology. She lives in a small virtual world. One of my colleagues is working on the development of a virtual world where victims of tragic accidents or disease can download their consciousness and live on as data...”

“Oh...”

“I know it sounds insane and that is why I don’t tell anyone about Sophie.”

“I don’t think it’s insane. I have to admit, if it was one of my babies and I had access to this technology... I might do the same thing. 

“I’m glad you don’t think I’m completely mad.”

“No... not crazy at all, but I can’t believe that this is possible.”

“It’s at least a decade or two away from any real practical use, the amount of data and storage required is not yet feasible. But for now, it gives me a chance to be with my Sophie and for her to have some semblance of a life.”

“She’s a beautiful girl.”

“Thank you.” Isaac feels relief as he turns off the monitor.

“What’s it like for her?”

“She lives in a virtual world like this... she has a few friends and goes to school for a day whilst I’m gone. I visit her every Sunday morning for an hour but we spend a week together, thanks to time dilation. Then when I have to leave she goes back to school again for a day... which lasts a week in real time.”

“Does she know?” Theo was curious.

“She suspects that her life is different. I will tell her when she’s old enough to understand. She wants to meet real people, we call them out of towners... she wants to meet you.”

“You told her about me?”

“She quite inquisitive and can read me like a book so, she figured it out... she said I seemed happier, and asked if I’ve finally met someone, and I told her that I really like you, but that it’s very new between us and we’ll have to wait and see where things go. But I do want you to meet her if... if we continue on.”

Theo’s quiet now.

“Please say something,” Isaac half laughs but he’s worried he has exposed himself too much and scared her off.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to come back,” Theo’s voice is a whisper as her mind and heart attempt to reconcile.

Her eyes drifted down to her hand, so petite in his as his. The other firm, gentle hand softly caresses her shoulder, touching, loving... 

He tips her chin up so her soft brown eyes look into his deep blues. “I’m glad you did. I haven’t stopped thinking about you.”

Her heart flutters, he’s so intense, and she feels a weakness for him. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you either. God, I’ve tried, but I...”

His thumb gently brushes her lower lip and she is willing, open to him as he draws closer. 

“... can’t stop...” 

Her soft lips are met with his, she opens herself, and a determined tongue presses in, tasting her, wanting her. She can feel how much. She excites him, arouses him in a way she can hardly understand when her own husband hardly looks her way. He takes her right then and there, and she lets him, wants him. The way he touches up and over the curve of her hip, waist, the weight of her breast... loving, reverent... he completely devotes himself to pleasing her when making love.

And holy shit, he feels so damned good inside her. “Mmm fuck... so good...” She’s loud, panting, moaning, uninhibited... and he likes it, encourages her to be free.

“Treasure,” he calls her.

His deep baritone vibrates through her core, making her come harder. She clings to him, until her body goes limp, overcome with ripples of pleasure.

“God, I love you...” He trembles when he comes with her, holds her, kisses her.

 

~

They lay naked in his bed, a large window gives a perfect view of the early evening sky in its array of colors as the sunsets. She likes the way he wraps his long legs across her as he cuddles her up against his chest. And they talk about many things, and he’s never bored with her.

 

“You love me?” She asks.

“Yes...” he sees no reason to deny it or dance around it. “ Our time apart, and then having you here with me again... only confirms what I already knew in my heart. I love you.”

 

 

Life is too short, to uncertain to waste a single moment… to not tell the people you love know how you feel.”

“I get that,” Theo could tell. He’s had enough tragedy in his life that playing games wasn’t what he was about.

“I brought you here to tell you about Sophie and to show you my home because... I envision you as a part of my life. You, you’re children... us together if that’s what you want. I cannot tell you what to do as it pertains to your marriage to Danny. All I can tell you is that if you and I were together, I would fully commit myself to you and only you.”

“Men say that, but people change... feelings change... and when they do, someone ends up hurt, or stuck with a life they didn’t want.”

I am not a double-minded man, easily swayed, or fickle. I believe in love and commitment. And when I love someone... well... their happiness becomes mine. I want you to be happy and fulfilled.”

Theo feels herself tear up. This isn’t supposed to happen. She is in love with this man who is holding her, touching her, loving on her in a way she has been desperate for. 

She wants to tell him, this man who is naked and unashamed to be bearing his heart and soul to her. And she wants this picture that he’s painting of a beautiful life of commitment and love. 

But she is married to a man who made similar promises, and now hardly touches her.

 

“Treasure...” god Isaacs voice can put her in a trance. “I don’t need you to answer now but I wonder, do you have a vision for the life in store for us?”

~

He never pressured her for an answer. They spend another day there in Virtual Sussex, walking along the coast, hand in hand. And they talked, about anything and everything. She could talk about Tyler and Sasha, and he was genuinely interested, laughed along with her. And for the first time, he shares stories about Sophie, he can talk about how she’s doing in school and what they do together and it’s liberating. 

~*~


	8. CH 8

Ch 8

 

She's nervous but she agrees. No promises are made but what harm could come from it. Sunday Morning, Isaac and Theo drive to the exclusive full care facility where Sophie is being cared for.

She’s in a private wing, everything is pristine, white sterile. He has fresh flowers, hydrangeas are her favorites.

“I don’t know why I bring them,” Isaac sighs. “She’ll never wake up and see them.”

“She’s your baby,” Theo understood.

“Right this way Mr. Crane. We’ve been expecting you,” a receptionist takes them up the elevator.

Once at Sophie’s private quarters, they are met by her doctor who reviews with Isaac how his daughter has been doing throughout the week.

“She’ll be very excited to have you there. The only actual people she meets are her father and myself,” Dr. Latham was kind and quite nerdy. 

“Right, her classmates and friends are all avatars?”

“Yes, for now. But with the research we are doing, one day we hope to offer this to all coma patients. I hope you don’t mind signing an NDA...”

“Latham, that won’t be necessary...” Isaac interjected.

“I don’t mind. I understand this work is very controversial and classified.”

“Very much so,” Latham says as he hands her the pen and contract. “We have a small IT team on this project. You are the first person outside of the two of us that Isaac has told about Sophie.”

It is strange seeing her lying so still and quiet, nothing like the vibrant precocious little girl in the home movie. She is connected to a machine that keeps her body functioning and there are tubes extending from her face and from one hand. 

Isaac directs Theo to a lounge chair by the window while he sits in one by his daughter's side.

“Hi, Sophie, my angel. Daddy is here,” Isaac takes her hand. “I’ve missed you.”

“When you’re ready,” Dr. Latham informs them.

“How long will we be gone?” Theo asks.

“Only a few seconds. Right now Sophie spends a week in our time but it’s a single day at school for her. The time dilation is automatically set to change when Isaac enters the ap. You have nothing to worry about.”

~

As their feet land on solid ground, they are outside of a primary school. A handful of adults and a few cars are waiting.

“It’ll just be a moment,” Isaac stands close to Theo and rubs her arm for just a second. He doesn’t take her hand, just lets his pinky finger lightly play with hers. A bell rings and outcome about two dozen adolescent children.

“Daddy!” Sophie sees.

He kneels down and swoops her up in his arms. “Oh goodness, love, I’ve missed you so much.”

“You just saw me at breakfast, daddy,” Sophie squeals as he squeezes her.

“I know...” he puts her down and gently cups her face. “Humor your old man... just let me look at you.”

“I missed you too, daddy.”

“I have a special surprise... I brought a friend to meet you. Sophie this is my very good friend Theo... and Theo this is my daughter, Sophie.”

“Hi, Sophie. It’s so nice to meet you.”

“Hello, Miss Theo. Very lovely to meet you,” Sophie’s face lit up as she shook Theo’s hand. “Daddy has told me so much about you!”

“He’s told me a lot about you too.”

“I thought we might walk home,” Isaac takes Sophie’s hand. “It’s not too far, if you don’t mind,” He asks Theo.

“I don’t mind at all.”

“I’m so very glad you’ve come. I don’t get to have visitors from out of town.” Sophie was a very proper girl, but very sweet and talkative, she talked and skipped as they walked and eventually took Theo’s hand.

“Daddy says you are a teacher?” She asks.

“Yes, well I was. I’m a stay at home mom at the moment.”

“How many children do you have? What are their names?”

“I have two. Sasha and Tyler.”

“Oh lovely! I hope they can come visit one day. I have so many places I can show them...”

‘I’m so sorry,’ Isaac mouths quietly to Theo as Sophie continues on a million miles a minute with her conversation.

‘It’s okay,’ Theo quietly whispers back with a grin.

“Miss Theo, can you stay for Tea... and supper? Oh and if you like, you can stay the night. We have a fine guest room... can she stay Daddy, please?”

“Um... darling, Miss Theo might need to get home,” Isaac hates to put her on the spot. “Of course you’re welcome to stay as long as you like. We’d loved the company.”

“I think staying one night would be fine,” she agrees. 

~

He slips into the guest room in the middle of the night. Sophie is asleep in her room, and Theo has been waiting. She can hear him undress and feel the bed shift with his weight as he crawls in behind her. She moans rocking her bum up into him, she feels his thick cock harden against her bare ass.

 

He’s upon her, slow, methodical strokes deep inside her, so deep she feels he has reached the very end of her. Their mouths clasp together absorbing the sounds of their moans. Their bodies glisten as he drives so deep, she can hardly take it. 

She can’t understand how he fucks her so damn good!

She clings to him, rakes her nails down his back, claiming him. Does he know how much she wants him, how much she needs him, how much he’s changed her?

 

~

“Thank you for everything,” Isaac holds Theo’s hand as they leave the private care facility. 

Thank you,” Theo returns. “I enjoyed every second that we spent together. And, I’m glad you let me meet Sophie. She’s a very sweet girl, and what you’ve done for her is incredible.”

She has a car waiting to take her to pick up her own children. She’s missing them after spending time with Sophie and actually can’t wait to see them. But her heart aches a little because she knows it’ll be a month before she sees Isaac again.

“I don’t want to be too presumptuous, but, I have something for you.”

Isaac reaches into his wallet and hands her the key card for his room.

“Isaac... I don’t know if I can take this...”

“Please, take it,” he places it in her hands and holds her hands in his. “I know it’ll likely be a month before we are together again, but... I don’t want you to get your own room. I want you to stay with me. And I want you to know you can come any time. You and your children if you want... if you need a place to go, for any reason, you are more than welcome to stay with me.”

“Okay,” Theo’s voice is a soft whisper, she nods and looks down at their hands together. 

“Treasure, look at me.”

Her eyes lighten almost golden in the sunlight, draw up to his blues, so seriously, intensely looking down into hers.

“Please consider what I asked you, about the life you want… the life you envision for yourself. I love you.”

Damn this man. Her heart flips, swooning, sinking, rising again. She opens her mouth, the words are right there... she wants to say them, wants to tell him, but she can’t allow herself this truth. She can’t confess these words... these words would be the nail in the coffin of her dead marriage.

She knows he wants to hear her say she loves him. She can see it in his eyes, but she can also see he understands. 

He leans in, caressing her cheek for one last kiss, tender, long... he holds her close. She doesn’t want him to let her go.

 

~

It’s later than she planned to pick up the kids. Theo knocks on her parents’ door, but there’s no answer. She can hear laughter coming from the back yard and smell the aroma of barbecue from the grill.

She walks around to the back and sees the kids playing on the slide. Her parents are sitting cozy on a double swing with a canopy. Mama is grinning as Dad whispers something in her ear and kisses her cheek.

Thirty-nine years they’ve been married; a beautiful picture of black love, an image that she has dreamed about for herself since she was a little girl. Her parents are marriage goals, her goals. Theo feels an aching pang in her chest, as joy for them turns to sorrow for herself. 

“Hey baby,” Mama Mills waves her over. 

Her dad gets out of the swing and takes her mama’s hand helping her up.

“We’ve already eaten, but go make yourself a plate. Let these babies wear themselves out a little before you take them home.”

“I’m good,” Theo tries to smile. “I’ll just clean this up for you.” 

She turns to the picnic table and starts gathering up plates.

“Where’s Daniel?” dad asks.

“He’s home,” Theo keeps her answer short and takes the plates inside.

“Theodora Abigail, what’s going on?” Mama follows Theo into the kitchen. Nothing needs to be said for her to know her little girl is struggling.

“How do you do it, Mama?” Theo finally turns to her and asks. “Almost forty years married and Dad still looks at you like you hung the moon and stars.”

“Mmm... it’s all about the man, Abbie," she calls her by her nickname during these private moments. "Your daddy is a good man.”

“But all these years, neither of you ever... stepped out, or thought about it?”

“We’ve actually been together for forty-one years. That’s a long time. So... have either of us thought about it... sure. It hasn’t always been easy. No one who makes it this long ever says that marriage is easy. But I never cheated and neither did your dad, thank goodness for that. We always agreed, that if things got rough or our feelings started to wane... we would go to each other first, before we let things get that far.”

“Do you think you two would have made it if either one of you did... cheat or turn to another way to be fulfilled?”

“Baby, what’s going on?” Mama looks at her with those caring loving eyes.

“Nothing... I’m just...” The quiver of her lip is the first escape and the tears creep into the corners of her eyes. “I’m not happy. Danny doesn’t want me and I don’t want a marriage like this...”

That’s when it happens. It swells up from deep inside her and she can’t stop it. She’d been holding it in, burying it deep since the night of her anniversary and again when Danny confessed. She broke down in Mama's arms, as she rocked her slow, let the tears flow.

“I don’t know what to do...” she finally chokes out the words between sobs.

 

“When you find someone who is faithful to you, passionate about you and is willing to commit to you and only you... then you hold on to that love, because it’s so precious and rare. You can build a life on that kind of love and devotion. That love will get you through the times when life is boring or difficult.”

“You really believe that mama?”

“I do... fidelity is a special gift between a husband and wife. Not all couples make it through, and some can even survive infidelity when it happens... but it’s hard once that bond… once that promise has been broken. So tread carefully, baby girl. As long as you two are a hundred percent committed to each other, and you still have that zeal and devotion... you’ll make it through.”

 

~

 

~

The sun was setting when Theo in the Uber pulls into the driveway. She doesn’t even notice the Lexus parked on the street.

“Hey, we’re home,” she calls out as she and the kids walk into their home. 

“Hey, Baby, I thought you were going to call when you were on your way?”

Theo hands Sasha to her dad, 

“I got caught up talking to Mama and forgot. You know how it is...”

“Hi, Uncle Karl!” Theo hears Tyler from the living room.

“Hey, my man. You’re getting big,” Karl answers back.

“You spent the weekend with Karl here?” Theo looks at Danny in complete disbelief. “What the fuck?!”

~*~


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Theo find out what Danny did? Will Isaac get what he wants from Theo.  
> Everything changes!

Theo plays nice, in front of the kids, but she is pissed. That night after they put the kids to bed is the first time they really get. It hasn’t been this bad since the night he was arrested. They try to keep their voices low for the sake of the kids, but it’s hard.

 

“We never agreed that Karl could come over... at least without asking me first! What the fuck, Danny!”

 

“We never said he couldn’t come over either. Look, we had the whole weekend... which never happens. We played Striking Vipers X and then we wanted to hang out, so I told Karl to just come over.

 

“So you two are fucking for real now? Is that what’s happening?” Theo crosses her arms.

 

“We were playing the game, Theo. Calm down. We hung out and had a few beers, smoked a joint, you know like the old days. I just wanted to hang with my boy like we used to.”

 

“You want me to calm down, but you didn’t answer the damn question.”

 

“We agreed, it’s don’t ask, right... so why does it matter?”

 

“It matters because this changes things, Danny. You crossed the line again without consulting me, without asking me how I feel.”

 

“So did you, Theo.”

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing,” Danny wanted to stay calm. 

 

He didn’t like arguing or upsetting her. But the way she’s been singing and drifting in her thoughts the past month, he knows. Something is up. He remembers what his wife in love looks like... she once looked and acted that way for him. 

 

“I just know you are really liking these nights out to be with other men.”

 

“I’m doing exactly what you said I could do. Find someone who wants to be with me, somewhere else, because you don’t want me.”

 

“Theo I do want you...”

 

“You want me to be your wife in name only, to raise your kids, to paint this fake ass picture of a life we think we want... but you don’t really want me. You don’t desire me. When you’re dreaming at night, it’s not me that gets your dick hard.”

 

“You have some nerve. Theo,” he took a breath and kept calm, “I’m trying. People change. I’m asking you to change with me. I am willing to stay married to you, keep our family intact...”

 

“I should be grateful for your scraps, because you think no one else would want me with all my baggage, right? I’m mean sure I can find someone to fuck me if I’m lucky, but someone to commit to me... you don’t think I’m worthy.”

 

“I knew it. You’re cheating on me.”

 

“Me?” The gasps. “You just had Karl over here all weekend.”

 

“Are we going full disclosure, or are we keeping this to ourselves? If I tell you what I’m doing, then are you prepared to tell me what you’ve been doing?”

 

Theo turns away. This has gone too far. She should tell him, but is she ready to hear what he and Karl’s are really doing? She turns out the lights and crawls into bed.

 

“I can’t deal with this right now Danny. It’s late.” 

 

~

 

The next day, things go back to the way they always are. Danny goes to work, Theo takes Tyler to school. Everything is fine, or so she pretends.

 

She watches the morning news as she plays with Sasha. She sees Isaac’s face as they replay a clip from his interview last week. 

*

_A news reporter is in a mall where the shelves stocking the VR games and equipment are empty._

__

__

 

_“The new VR Education ap, VET, is causing quite a controversy. As CEO and creator Isaac Crane moves forward with the launch. Some question the safety and morality of such technology.”_

__

__

 

_The screen switches to a random gentleman._

__

__

 

_“We got people getting addicted to these things as it is, now they want to give it to our children? How do we know what the long term health effects will be?” He argues. “What kind of parents would blindly go hooking their kids up to this?”_

__

__

 

_The news reporter continues, “Despite the naysayers, sales of the VR chip have gone through the roof. In anticipation of the launch, online and retail stores have sold out of the required VR chip, and they are currently on back order.”_

__

__

 

_The camera then pans to another civilian._

__

__

 

_“To be able to go anywhere in the world from your classroom or living room... I think it’s great. I wish this existed when I was a kid.”_

__

__

 

_They pan to another clip of Isaac speaking._

 

*

 

Theo smiles, despite herself. The sound of his voice lifts her soul, warming it in places that were cold and saddened. Places within her that were once occupied by Danny, places that had felt ruined by Danny. 

 

“I’m gonna get you,” Theo teases behind Sasha, who’s giggling uncontrollably. The baby scoots around the family room floor completely delighted by her mother. She loves being chased. Theo loves her smile, her laughter, and the fact that she’ll wear herself out soon and sleep for a good two hours.

 

Her mind wanders again, it does that a lot now. She’s reminded of the morning she was making breakfast with Isaac and Sophie. He was so engaged, genuinely happy. They sang as they cooked, she joined in. 

 

Theo wonders, was Isaac always like this? Perhaps it was losing his wife and Sophie’s coma that changed him. 

 

Do men with families actually stay this way?

 

Danny had seemed content for the past several years, but never like this, and clearly content was not enough for him. But Isaac seemed to love being at home with his daughter, having Theo there with him. 

 

She thinks Isaac will be good with Sasha and Tyler. He wants to meet them when she’s ready, if she decides that just going through the motions, unhappy, unfulfilled is not enough. If she decides she wants more. There it is again, that warm sensation that fills her soul.

 

“I got you,” Theo grabs Sasha who squeals and gurgles with delight. She sprinkles kisses all over the baby. She can’t remember the last time she’s felt this happy.

 

It’s after Theo puts Sasha down for her nap, when she’s cleaning the house, that things take a turn. 

 

“ 🎵 Hmm... Anyone who knows what love is... will understand 🎶,” she’s humming softly to herself. As she busies about doing the household chores. 

 

She expects that Karl would have slept in the fourth bedroom if not on the sofa, and so the linens would need to be changed, the floor vacuumed. The bed wasn’t made right, anyway. She changes and makes the bed, placing the pillows on the way she likes them. Then goes to empty the waste bin. That’s when she sees the used condoms.

 

“Fuck... fuck,” she sighs exasperated. She doesn’t know if she should be sad, angry, or if she should even care. She dumps out the trash then throws the linens in the washer.

 

She feels lost as she goes into her room and sits on the bed. Danny has gone too far, but so has she. 

 

Theo reaches into her drawer, pulls out Danny’s VR chip and goes into the family room. Her heart races nervously, but she’s determined. She’s never done this before but she needs to know.

 

It’s different here as her feet touch down in the Striking Vipers game, she’s in the body of an Avatar... Roxette, the one Danny loves so much, the body that he can’t stop fucking.

 

She says Isaac’s access code and it pulls up the data for the game. Now she just needs a date... Friday 10 pm works. 

 

And there they are fucking... she fasts forwards, they spar and then they fuck some more. Then she sees them laying down, Roxette is in Lance’s arms, he’s lovingly stroking her hair.

 

“I want to see you more. I hate this once a month shit. I miss you.” Karl as Roxette has the cutest pout as she looks up at Lance.

 

“I know... I miss you too, but I can’t push Theo. I care about her.”

 

“Do you care about me too?”

 

“You know I do, or I wouldn’t be here,” Lance leans in to kiss her.

 

“I love you...”

 

“I know... 

 

“I wish you would say it back.”

 

“You know I do. It’s just complicated with Theo and shit, you know.”

 

“She has everything else. Let me just have this.”

 

“Okay... I love you too man, alright,” Danny laughs it off but Roxette looks as if she’s on top of the world. 

 

“Hey...” Danny yawns, “I gotta go, I’m tired. I need some sleep.”

 

“Awe come on man, sleep in the game. We finally have the whole weekend. I want to spend it together.”

 

“Maybe you can just come over?” Danny offers.

 

Theo gasps. Danny was the one to invite Karl over.

 

“Seriously, man?! Hell yeah. I’ll bring some brown liquor and I might have some MJ,” Karl laughs.

 

“Awe shit, you bout to get my ass lit,” Danny jokes.

 

“Yeah...” Karl gives him a grin, “let’s do this!”

 

Theo stands there in disbelief as the video ends. She tries the date for Saturday and Sunday, but there were no more entries. Karl and Danny spent Saturday and Sunday together but they didn’t play the game... used condoms in the trash... she‘s gutted.

 

~

 

Silence is what Danny is met with when he gets home. She hums and sings when he’s not around, he knows Theo is thinking about whoever she’s spending her nights out with. But as soon as Danny walks into the room, she’s quiet again. Dinner, more silence. He puts the kids to bed while she cleans the kitchen. When he returns, the silence continues.

 

“You still upset about our fight last night? He asks, grabbing the broom to help her.

 

“No,” she shakes her head as she closes and starts the dishwasher.

 

“Look,” he gives her a calming smile. “I’m sorry. I should have asked first, but it won’t happen again. I won’t have Karl over if it bothers you.”

 

“You can have him over if you want... and we can do our thing every Friday or Saturday night.”

 

“What?” Danny has a wide-eyed grin. “Are you serious? We can do this once a week?”

 

Well, that evokes a little excitement from him and Theo feels her heart sink.

 

“Yeah, Danny. I’m not fighting this anymore. I’m tired of crying about it, and being upset, wondering why I’m not enough for you. I’m making myself crazy... I can’t do it anymore. You want to see Karl once a week, fuck an Avatar, then shit, just do whatever you want... and I’ll do the same.”

 

“You sound calm, but I feel like you’re not okay with this,” he observes her defeated demeanor.

 

“Do you care if I’m not?” she asks. “I mean, does it really matter?”

 

“Yes, you matter to me. I want you to be happy too.”

 

“Okay, I’ll be happy, if I can do what I want with who I want.”

 

“Right...” Danny could tell from the last time she came home, someone had made her really happy. He wonders if she has fallen for someone, but she’s been in such a bad mood since the Karl incident he can’t tell. “Are you in love with this guy?”

 

Theo looks him dead in his face, “Are you in love with Karl?”

 

Danny gets up and walks away. Now he’s not ready for this conversation.

 

~

 

Friday Night

 

Theo’s nervous tonight. She hasn’t called Isaac to let him know she’s coming. Hell, he might not even be there. She stands outside of his suite, holding the keycard. He said any time. He said he loves her, wants her around... but what if she walks in and he’s with another woman or he’s busy and doesn’t want her there. She takes a deep breath and swipes.

 

~

 

“We’ve found a candidate. A woman who has been in a coma for six years. She’s forty-seven and was a teacher for sixteen years.” Dr. Latham is on FaceTime with Isaac.

 

He’s excited, finally, Dr. Latham is ready to move forward with expanding Sophie’s world, bringing in a teacher for her. It won’t be an easy task, the data and storage required to maintain a virtual world and life will be a challenge as they bring in more people. But the payoff of giving comatose victims a chance at life is work that they can both be proud of. They hope to one day be able to offer a life even after death.

 

“And do we have the family’s consent?” Isaac asks.

 

“Yes. The husband wants to remarry, and is eager to find a solution other than taking her off of life support.”

 

“Excellent. Set up the transport for Monday and I will be available to do a VR interview with her Tuesday morning. I need to be certain she understands the full gravity of her circumstance, and that she agrees to live out her life in Virtual Reality as a test subject.”

 

“I’ll make the arrangements. If this is a success we can move on to bring in a child. I have a few candidates on the short list.”

 

“Very good, but one step at a time, my friend... I don’t want us getting ahead of ourselves...” Isaac pauses when he hears the clicking of the door to his suite.

 

And then, there she is nervous, big beautiful, amber eyes looking at him. 

 

His soft smile alleviates any nervous hesitation she has and she smiles back at him, placing her overnight bag down. That smile of hers melts his heart and sends him adrift with emotion.

 

“I have to go...” Isaac doesn’t even give Dr. Latham a chance to say goodbye.

 

In just a few long-legged strides, he’s before her, swooping her up in his arms. 

 

“I’m so happy that you are here, Treasure.” His voice is soft in her ear, making her heart flutter and her core tingle.

 

He lowers her feet back to the ground, his arms still around her. Gently she takes his cheeks in her hands, his beard like silk against the tips of her fingers. She’s transfixed, as she gazes up unto those soft, loving, sapphire eyes.

 

She draws him to her, in a tenderness of soft lips pressing, and then the heat comes rushing over them. 

 

The glow of love between them has not faded, if anything it’s growing, blossoming into something she can’t explain. The fire between them, something neither can resist.

 

Their lips collide again, tongues search and taste, he breathes her in, her soft sweet scent. He has her against the wall now, his hands sliding up her thigh, raising her skirt. His touch, like electricity, sparks a surge to her pussy. Damn, he makes her so wet.

 

He hurriedly removes her dress over her head, and they kiss again. Next. his shirt, over his head, tossed to the side. Now her breasts press against his chest, As his body heaves and waves against hers.

 

“God, I missed you,” his deep voice and warm breath tremors against her lips, before his tongue presses in again.

 

She can feel his thickness lurch hard against her body, confined by his trousers.

 

“Mmmm... I missed you,” she hums. Her petite hands quickly unfasten his pants, freeing his cock.

 

He wants inside of her. She wants him too, a desire she knows only he can fill.

 

“I need you inside me,” she breathes as she takes him in her hand. His cock presses against the thin silk material, that denies him access to her folds and her chasm. His hand wraps around her ass, long fingers pull at the tiny panties ripping them off. 

 

He presses inside her, she moans her delight as he fills her. Slowly he enjoys the feeling of her wet walls engulfing tight around his cock.

 

She clings to him, her hands filter through his silken hair, as his tongue taste inside her, his cock fucks deep inside her, he completely fills her, nothing feels this fucking good, and she can’t wrap her mind around the bliss he’s filling her with.

 

He raises her legs over his forearms, and now he’s so deep she can hardly breathe. He’s pumping, thrusting up into her, and she feels as if he has reached the very end of her, he’s so damned big.

 

They’re panting heavy, breaths labored, bodies glistening, dripping, they cannot get enough.

 

Her thighs quiver as he thrusts harder, faster, he loves the slapping sound of their flesh meeting rhythmically as he grips her ass.

 

“Mmm.... fu..... god yessss....” she pants and mumbles heavily before her body gives over to the shuddering wave of euphoria.

 

Her walls soak him and grip him as she comes, the breathy whimper that escapes her lips as she trembles in his arms... fuck he loves that sound and the dazed, hazy look when she comes hard.

 

Fuck... you feel so damned good...” he groans. He has to come too, and won’t deny himself. He fills her, they’re reckless. They don’t care. He stays inside her slowly rocking as they descend their high. He loves being inside her, as they kiss again, slow, tender.

 

He carries her to the bed, lays her down, still tasting her sweet kiss. She spread wide and he’s between her thighs, kissing sucking her neck, stroking slowly inside her, until he’s once again stiff.

 

“Mmmm Baby... feels so good,” she purrs as she feels his thickness, hard and filling her again. “I love you...”

 

It’s a whisper, but it’s real. The words that have been brewing inside her, hiding behind the fear of what it would mean if said out loud. 

 

Isaac pauses, looking at her, searching her soft brown eyes for the truth of the words, and he sees what he’s already feeling. It’s not just him fucking her so good that the words slip out. She means them.

 

Her heart nearly stops. She can’t take it back. She doesn’t want to take it back. She looks up into those baby blues of his, willingly giving him what he wants from her.

 

“I love you,” she says again, feeling his cock lung inside her chasm.

 

“I love you, Treasure.”

 

His lips are upon her again as their tongues tangle in wet heated bliss.

 

~

 

“I was surprised you came so soon.” He hums a deep baritone in her ear from behind, spooning his body against her backside. His arms wrap around her, holding her close as long fingers tenderly fondle her nipples. But I’m so glad you are here.”

 

“Yeah... I thought a lot about what you said and what Danny really wants,” Theo let’s out a sigh. “I don’t see any reason to keep fighting for something that neither of us wants.”

 

“We should talk. How long can you stay?” Isaac asks 

 

“Only tonight. I have to get the kids from Jenna in the morning. We can go somewhere in VR if you want to talk though.”

 

“I think we should,” Isaac places a peck on her shoulder before getting up to bring the VR chips.

 

“I’d like to stay for a few days, if that’s all right with you, Treasure.”

 

“Sure,” Theo agrees as she takes the chip and places it on her temple. “Can we go back to your home?”

 

“Of course,” Isaac smiles as he lays beside her and takes her in his arms again.

 

~

 

In a moment they are transported. Their feet land in his backyard, overlooking the sea.

 

“I’ll never get over how beautiful it is here,” Theo smiles.

 

But Isaac cannot take his eyes off of her. She’s in a simple sundress and long knit sweater... breathtaking. He sighs softly, “This could be our home, you know.”

 

Theo takes a deep breath, “I suppose that’s what you want to talk about?”

 

“You know how I feel about you.”

 

“You love me,” Theo nods as she looks up into his eyes again.

 

“Yes, I love you very much,” he admits readily. 

 

“And... I love you. I just... I can’t deny it, but I don’t know what the next step is for me,” Theo gazes out over the water as the breeze and the sound of the ocean calmly sooth.

 

“Then you’ve given some thought to what I asked whence we last spoke?”

 

“Constantly,” she confesses, taking his hand in hers. “The time that we’ve spent together has been... life changing.”

 

“But,” Isaac almost winces, sensing that it will be the next word from her lips.

 

“But... if I leave Danny it has to be because there is nothing left to salvage of our marriage. It can’t be because I love you, and want to be with you.”

 

“I see,” Isaac swallows, a dry knot forms in his throat. He understands, but it’s still difficult. 

 

“I want to believe that I can have a marriage of love, passion, and commitment... that I can have the family I’ve dreamed of. But, if I leave Danny for you, and then what I’m hoping for doesn’t happen... I guess I just can’t have any regrets when I walk away from my marriage. And I don’t want you to be the reason I’m leaving him.”

 

“Wait... are you saying you are leaving him?”

 

“Yes. This past week really opened my eyes. This is not the marriage I signed up for.”

 

“Does he know yet?” Isaac is almost dancing inside.

 

“No, not yet. I need him to see it too, that he doesn’t want me and that it’s over. It’ll make things easier for both of us and the kids. I might when I get home.”

 

“Do you think he will see things the way you do,” Isaac worries that maybe Danny’s fling will get old if he has it all the time, and he’ll realize what an amazing wife, mother, and woman Theo is.

 

“He’s the one who wanted more time with Karl, or Roxette. He was so happy when I agreed to go to once a week. And after what happened last weekend, I think it will help him understand what he really wants. He knows I’m not happy in the marriage and he says he wants me to be happy.”

 

“Well on that I agree,” Isaac pulls her into his arms, kissing her tenderly. “I want you to be happy too.”

 

“I know you do,” Theo rests her head against his chest as he lovingly brushes the back of his hand against her arm. These little touches... she’ll never get enough of the tiny little signs of affection. “One of the reasons I’ve fallen in love with you.”

 

“And I love you.”

 

“Okay, come on,” Theo looks up at him with a grin. The beautiful smile he loves so much, “take a walk with me down the shore?” 

 

“It would be most ardently my pleasure,” Isaac entwines his arm with hers, to lead her on their stroll. “How has your week been?”

 

“Busy. Tyler is doing so well in Kindergarten. He’s so bright... a little shy though. I need to find a way to get him out of his shell.” Theo smiles and continues. Isaac hangs on her every word, engaging in the conversation and she is still surprised that he takes such interest in the mundane detailed of her life as a mother. “Sasha is just all over the place. Sometimes she wears me out, but I love it.”

 

“Ah, I remember when Sophie was that age,” he reminisces. She was scooting about getting into everything her little hands could grab ahold of.”

 

“How is Sophie?” Abbie asks.

 

“She’s splendid. I spent some more time with her after you left. I cherish every moment with her, even if it is just in virtual reality. She adores you and can’t wait for you to visit again. If you have time Sunday...”

 

“I’d like to see her again too... I’ll think about it,” Theo pauses and looks around. She feels odd, a bit spacey. Then looks up at Isaac, eyes filled with concern.

 

“What is it, Treasure?”

 

She tries to tell him, something feels strange, but she can’t speak.

 

“Theo?” Isaac grabs her as her body goes limp. “Theo!”

 

Nothing. Her Avatar goes stiff and he goes down to his knees and lays her on his lap.

 

“Security code 63412IsaacCrane Exit game.”

 

“Request denied. Game error 441,” the computer spouts out.

 

“What?”

 

Isaac knows 441 is a medical distress error. It never happens. Or it hasn’t happened before now. 

 

He hurries her back to the house, laying her on the sofa. “Exit game!”

 

He wakes up with Theo’s real body in his arms as they had left things, she is completely still. 

 

“Theo, love, wake up!” 

 

He checks her eyes, but it’s as if she is still in the game. “No, no, no, Theo!”

 

He dares not remove the chip while it’s in error mode, for fear he would cause trauma to her consciousness. He checks her breathing, it’s slow as well as her pulse. 

 

Isaac quickly grabs his phone and almost dials 999 in his panic, before dialing 911.

 

“Hello 911, what’s your emergency.”

 

“I need an ambulance to my hotel suite right away,” he’s frantic with worry. “My girlfriend is unconscious!”

 

“Okay sir, we’ll send help to your location. Is she breathing?”

 

“Yes... but it’s very faint...”

 

“Okay, can you tell me what she was doing before she became unresponsive?”

 

“She... we... we were in Virtual Reality. I cannot remove the chip.”

 

Isaac realizes this could be a glitch, and there was only one doctor who knew how to handle this. While on the phone with the 911 operator, he hastily texts Dr. Latham, asking him to meet him at the hospital. 

 

If his ap has caused Theo any harm, he will never forgive himself.

 

~*~


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo's life is in danger and things get complicated with her husband & her Lover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the Kudos & comments. They help so much. This will have a Bandersnach style chose your ending, so I hope you enjoy.

It seems an eternity, but only ten minutes pass as Isaac stays on speakerphone with the 911 operator. He tries to dress her, for modesty’s sake, a simple shirt of his is easy enough to slip on and long enough to go almost to her knees. He continues to try and rouse her but she remains unresponsive. 

 

Then it’s all a blur, a rush as he opens the door and paramedics hurry into the suite.

 

He directs them to Theo, tells them not to remove the chip, because he can’t risk losing her. He grabs her phone and tries to call Danny, but there is no answer. Next, he calls her parents.

 

“Hey, Baby,” Mrs. Mills answers. “Why are you calling so late? It’s almost midnight...”

 

“Excuse me, Mrs. Mills?”

 

“Who is this?” a panic rushes through her mother when she hears the strange man’s voice.

 

“Ma’am, my mane is Isaac Crane, I’m a friend of your daughter... I’m afraid she is unwell. 

 

“What? Unwell?”

 

“Yes, ma’am... The paramedics are here and are going to take her to the hospital.”

 

She wakes her husband. “Get dressed, Abbie is sick. They’re taking her to Cloverfield General...”

 

“No ma’am, that’s too far from here...”

 

“Here? Where is here?”

 

Dear God, Isaac had no way out of this. “We’re at the St. Regis in Central City.”

 

“What? That’s 40 minutes from Cloverfield...” Mrs. Mills can’t fathom why her daughter is at a five-star hotel at this hour. “Where is Danny, her husband?”

 

“I’m unable to reach him. I’ve tried...”

 

“Can I speak to her?”

 

“I’m afraid she’s... she’s unresponsive.” Isaac chokes.

 

“Oh my God,” now her mother is frantic.

 

Isaac feels sick to have to tell her. He has been in this same situation learning about Sophie’s accident. The fear, panic, not knowing... it’s something no parent should have to experience.

 

“We’re ready for transport,” one of the paramedics tells him. “We can be at Westgate Memorial in 15 minutes... it’s closer to Cloverfield than Mercy and it’s a better facility.”

 

“Yes, Westgate Memorial is fine. I need to ride with her,” Isaac insists. “Mrs. Mills...”

 

“I heard, we’re on our way!”

 

~

 

When paramedics pull up to the most high-end hotel and restaurant in the city, everyone notices. So, as they are leaving, the easily recognizable Isaac Crane, an unconscious woman on a gurney, paramedics shielding her.... outcome the cell phones snapping pictures and videos... a few even live stream.

 

The staff tries to keep guests from the bar and restaurant at a distance but they are close enough to see quite a bit.

 

“Is that the CEO of Crane Technologies?”

 

“Look, the girl on the stretcher... she has a VR chip on...”

 

“Isn’t that the VR chip guy?”

 

“Whose that woman that he’s with?”

 

“What happened to her?”

 

“That’s the guy on the news. He’s one of the owners of all the VR stuff.”

 

~

 

He is ashamed, embarrassed. Danny is in the game literally in the middle of fucking Roxette when he feels someone violently shake him. In the moment he tells Karl, he has to go, someone is in his house. 

 

He wakes up to the look of disgust and disappointment on his father-in-law’s face, it’s a kick to the gut.

 

“You’re playing a gotdamn sex game while my daughter is unconscious on her way to the hospital! What kind of man are you?!”

 

~

 

Mr. Mills’ words hit Danny hard, repeating over and over in his mind, as he follows behind them in his car. It’s a thirty-minute drive to Westgate Hospital. Thirty minutes for him to beat himself up. What the hell was he thinking, sending his wife out to meet strange men... to fuck strange men? Anything could happen to her... hell, something terrible has happened to her. How had he been too selfish to even consider the danger?

 

“Fuck!” He swears out loud when his phone rings again. It’s Karl, again. He has to answer or the calls won’t stop.

 

“What Karl, Damn?”

 

“Thank god, man I‘m here freaking out! Where did you go?”

 

“I can’t talk. It’s Theo... something’s happened to her.”

 

“Oh, shit!” Karl is genuinely concerned. “Is she okay?”

 

“I don’t know, man... She was with some random dude and now she’s unconscious, that’s all I know. I just... what have I done?” Danny feels ill. “I’m on my way to Westgate Memorial now.”

 

“I’ll meet you there,” Karl is ready to go, to support the man he loves more than anyone.

 

“No... I’m going with her parents. I’ll call you when I can.”

 

Danny hangs up abruptly. He can’t think about Karl right now. His only thoughts are of Theo and what could have possibly happened to her.

 

Once in a while, Theo would go out with the girls, but she always came home before ten, stayed out of trouble, avoided strange men who made passes at her. How did she end up unconscious?

 

“Damn it!” Danny hits the steering wheel. He knows why. Because he put his own wife out there, so he could fuck Roxette.

 

Suddenly all the passion that had faded for his wife comes rushing back. The thought of his beautiful Theo being hurt, that it might be his fault, is killing him.

 

Theo should never have been out there on her own. If Karl had never introduced him to that game she’d be home, asleep, by his side. 

 

This is the longest drive of his life.

 

~

 

“What has happened, Isaac?” Dr. Latham arrives at Westgate just as Isaac and the paramedics are getting out of the ambulance.

 

“We were in VR... on the new ap... she just went limp.” They talk, voices low, as they follow the paramedics, who give her stats to the doctor on call.

 

“Did you try your passcode?” The older gentleman asks.

 

“Of course...”

 

“Isaac, please tell me you had nothing to do with this?”

 

“What?” Isaac is stunned by the question

 

“You have been desperate to find a companion for Sophie... someone you could trust with her, you said...”

 

“Good god man, no,” Isaacs' voice was low but clearly offended. “I love Theo... I would never do this to her purposefully. I need your help to fix this. I cannot lose her.”

 

Latham could see the deep sincerity and concern in Isaacs' eyes. “I apologize, my friend. It’s just that... we’ve never had a glitch. Everything we’ve been working towards is on the line.”

 

“I know,” Isaac ran his hands through his hair. “The error code is for a medical emergency...

Just, please help. They want to remove the chip and I’ve held them off. I've tried to explain that it's safe to leave on, but I’m not a medical doctor...”

 

“Of course,” Latham understood. He hurried behind the closed-off cubicle with Theo, the nurse, and the on-call doctors. He introduces himself and explains his expertise, "The chip is not metal, so it's perfectly safe to leave on during an MRI and all medical procedures. It was designed for exactly this type of emergency." Isaac hears him inform the medical staff.

 

Isaac calls for the hospital chief of staff and asks that Theo be given a private room and informs them that he will pay for all of her expenses.

 

“We’ll make the arrangements, Mr. Crane. Your wife is stable, so we’re going to take her for an MRI and see if we can’t figure out why she’s unconscious.”

 

“Thank you... but I feel I have to tell you she’s not exactly my wife...” he almost hated to correct her. He not only liked the sound of it, but he also didn’t want to be excluded from her care. “She and I are... I have contacted her parents and they are on their way.”

 

“It’s fine, Mr. Crane. We’ll take good care of her.”

 

~

 

Shortly after, Isaac is taken to a private room in a separate wing of the hospital. It’s spacious, nicer, quieter too. The ambiance is not spectacular, but it is more spa than plain hospital white and grey.

 

A few minutes later a nurse and orderly wheel Theo into the room and get her IV and monitors set up.

 

“I’m nurse Grant, and I will be on call for all of Ms. Mills-Parker’s needs.”

 

“How is she?” He asks desperately.

 

“She’s the same. Still stable. Her vitals are a little low but still good. The doctors are reviewing her scans and will be with you in just a moment.”

 

“Thank you,” Isaac can’t take his eyes from Theo’s still, beautiful face. “Can I sit with her?”

 

“Of course,” the nurse nods.

 

The orderly pulls a chair to Theo’s bedside. Isaac kisses her, then sits taking her hand in his.

 

“Oh, Treasure,” he laments. “Please don’t leave me.”

 

It breaks his heart to see her this way. He cannot entertain the thought of her not waking up. This cannot happen again. He cannot bear it.

 

~

 

This isn’t covered on our health plan,” Danny is a bit concerned when they go to the much nicer private wing of the hospital.

 

“Mr. Crane is covering everything so do not worry about the added expense,” Nurse Grant assures him and Theo’s parents.

 

It’s a sight that takes them all by surprise. Danny and his in-laws walk into the private wing with nurse Grant, and behind a glass wall, they see a man holding Theo’s hand with great endearing affection. There’s no mistaking the way he’s looking at her, he’s a man in love, a man distraught.

 

“Mr. Crane has not left her side since she went for her MRI. Here are her doctors,” the nurse waved to Dr. Waters and Dr. Latham. 

 

“Doctors, these are Ms. Mills-Parker’s parents... And brother?”

 

“I’m her husband,” Danny corrects her. “Danny Parker.

 

“Oh,” she glances at the room where Isaac sits with Theo. “Um... my mistake. This is our head neurologist Dr. Waters, and a Virtual Reality Specialist, Dr. Latham.”

 

“Well, let’s step inside and we’ll tell you all what we’ve found,” Dr. Waters opens the door to Theo’s room.

 

Isaac never even noticed them outside. He gently places Theo’s hand down and stands quickly as they come in. His fingers twitch nervously for a second before he stands straight-backed, his right hand firmly behind him. 

 

It’s incredibly awkward. The hospital staff has seen Isaac as the devoted significant other.

 

Isaac wants to introduce himself quickly and find out what’s wrong with Abbie, but Danny is shooting daggers at him with his eyes.

 

“You can go,” Danny says abruptly.

 

“Well, urm... this is my colleague Mr. Isaac Crane.” Latham interrupts.

 

“You’ve been in the news,” Mr. Mills recognizes him now and extends a hand. “Ezra Mills. And this is my wife Lori.”

 

“We spoke on the phone,” Mama Mills is polite as they shake hands. But her focus is on her daughter.

 

“I’m so sorry we’ve had to meet under these circumstances,” Isaac too, draws his gaze back to Theo. “Have you ascertained what’s happening?”

 

“Indeed we have,” Dr. Latham pulls up her scans on his tablet.

 

“Wait, her family is here now,” Danny glares at Isaac. “You don’t need to be here.”

 

“Actually,” Dr. Waters cautiously intervenes. “Mr. Crane and Dr. Latham are the foremost experts on VR technology. He needs to know what’s happened and assist us on what steps to take. It was Mr. Crane who insisted we not remove the VR Chip, which likely saved Ms. Mills-Parker’s life.”

 

“It’s Mrs. Parker,” Danny sighs. “My wife goes by Mrs. Parker...”

 

“Can we just find out what’s going on with our baby girl?” Mr. Mills is about done with Danny at this point. Finding him playing a sex game while his daughter is in peril, made him lose all respect.

 

“The scans show ‘Theodora’ has an aneurysm, that’s on the verge of rupturing.”

 

“Oh my god,” Mama Mills gasps.

 

“Why is she unresponsive?” Her dad asks.

 

“We believe that the safety protocols, nanite wives that are built in the VR Chip that would shut down and block an energy spike, are cocooning the aneurysm and keeping it from rupturing,” Dr. Latham tells them. 

 

“She’s essentially shut down in-game until the repair is made,” Isaac explains his safety measure, hands maneuvering with moving word. “Attempting to exit during a malfunction could lead to brain damage, so this failsafe was created in case there was a glitch.”

 

“Which there never have been any game glitches or malfunctions,” Latham adds trying not to sound overly excited. But this is truly a game-changer for their technology. “We had no idea the VR Chip’s nanites would recognize a malfunction within the human body and react to protect the user... from themselves. This is quite an astonishing revelation.”

 

“Had the aneurysm ruptured,” Dr. Waters adds, “Theodora likely would have only had minutes before it was too late.”

 

Mrs. Mills is almost in tears. “Are you saying the VR Chip is keeping our daughter alive?”

 

“Yes, and it’s bought us valuable time,” Dr. Waters adds. “We’ll be able to make a much smaller incision and remove the aneurysm, repairing the blood vessel.”

 

“Immediately following the surgery, we’ll need Isaac to go into the VR app and see if Theodora has awakened and assess if there are any error or emergency codes. And if she is awake in the VR, which is what we are hoping, she’ll want to know what is happening, I’m sure.” Latham seems very confident, which sets the family at ease.

 

“We just have a few questions. Any history of blood clots, heart condition, asthma, allergies to anesthesia...”

 

There is a whole list of questions to which Mama Mills answers no until this question.

 

“Any possibility of pregnancy?”

 

At the same time, Danny and Isaac answer very differently.

 

“No.”

 

“Maybe.”

 

Awkward silence. Danny looks as if he could rip Isaacs head off his shoulders. Isaac looks back with a glare that says ‘don’t try me’.

 

“No problem. The results of her bloodwork should be done. I’ll just have one of the interns run and get her labs stat,” Nurse Grant hurriedly sends one of the interns off.

 

“Well,” Dr. Latham clears his throat. “I guess we’ll take the patient and prep her for surgery. Isaac, we’ll call for you when we need you.”

 

“I will be ready,” Isaac breathes relieved. 

 

“Thank you so much,” Lori and Ezra are so grateful as they shake the doctors' hands. They then turn to Isaac, “Thank you for taking care of our Abbie.”

 

“I would do anything for her,” Isaac smiles hearing them call her nickname, Abbie. It was how she first introduced herself to him. He shakes Mr. Mills hand, more confidently now, but Mama Lori comes in for a hug. She has no idea what is going on with her daughter's personal life, all she cares about is that her precious Theodora Abigail’s life was saved tonight.

~

 

The surgery is done now, Isaac scrubs in before entering the surgical theater. He’s hopeful everything in-game is as it should be. 

 

“I’ve adjusted the time dilation externally to reserve storage and data space and so that she isn’t sitting around for weeks wondering what’s happened.” 

 

“Thank you. I was worried she might be alone for an extended time.”

 

Isaac is all too familiar with the free-falling feeling before his feet land on solid ground. In an instant, he’s in his back yard, with the sound of the sea crashing against the rocky shore. 

 

“Theo!” He calls out and runs into the house. She’s not on the sofa where he left her. “Theo!”

 

“Crane!” She calls from upstairs.

 

He lunges up, doubling his steps and meets her at the top and wrapping her up in his arms. “Oh thank god!”

 

“I woke up on the sofa, alone... what happened?”

 

“You became unresponsive because you suffered an aneurysm .”

 

“What? Am I okay?”

 

“Yes. We believe so.” Isaac sits her down on the bed and explains everything. She watches his hands move as he speaks confidently, knowledgeably, reassuring her that everything is going to be fine.

 

“This ap, saved me from having a ruptured aneurysm, and gave me enough time to have surgery? That’s unbelievable.”

 

“It’s an unintentional side effect of the safety protocol.”

 

“I can’t help but think, if I’d been home asleep when this happened...”

 

“Let’s not even think about that,” Isaac takes her hands and kisses them, then her. 

 

His fingers gently ease up her arm, along the curve of her shoulder and neck. Their kiss deepens as his tongue wets her lips. She opens up taking him in. 

 

He reluctantly pulls away, “The doctors are awaiting my return.”

 

Theo nods, understanding. Isaac quickly checked for any error codes and found none. 

 

“Can I leave the game now?” She asks.

 

“No. We want to make sure you’ve woken from your unconscious state first. When you feel outside stimulation, then and only then should you exit the game, under the supervision of myself or Latham. If you exit beforehand... we can not communicate with you whilst you are unconscious.”

 

“Okay, I’ll wait. But will I be on real-time? I want to know how long I’m here. I don’t want to be away from my kids for too long.”

 

“Of course... but I don’t like the idea of you being alone while you’re waiting to wake up.”

 

“Then you’ll have to come back and see me.”

 

“I will. I promise. But you need to heal and wake up soon. Your mother and father are sorely worried... as well as Danny.”

 

Theo’s face contorts from a mild smile to a frown. Danny hasn’t even been a thought for her in all of this. “Oh god, is he here?”

 

“Yes. I wasn’t able to reach him, but I called your parents and, they brought him.”

 

“Do they know who you are?”

 

“That I’m the CEO of Crane Technologies and the creator of VET... Yes.”

 

“I mean, do they know who you are, to me?”

 

“Your parents are a right bit confused by me, but I presume by the way Danny looks at and speaks to me, he knows. He’d like nothing more than for me to feck off.”

 

Theo smiles up at him despite herself. “Well, I don’t want you to feck off. Promise me.”

 

He melts as soft amber eyes gaze lovingly up at him. “I will stay... but I will give your family space. The situation is somewhat uncomfortable for Danny.” He lets out a sigh, “I have to go, Treasure.”

 

“Tell my parents, I love them and miss them, and ask that they please check on the kids... send them lots of hugs and kisses from me, and I’ll see everyone soon.”

 

“I will, I promise.”

 

“Okay.” She reaches up cupping both of his cheeks in her hand and draws him in to kiss her.

 

He pulls her into his embrace. Long gentle fingers caress her back. She pulls away from the kiss, leaving him longing for more, as their foreheads rest against each other’s. A longing sigh... they don’t want to be apart.

 

“You’ll come back,” she breathes softly.

 

“On my honor. I love you,” he kisses her again quickly before standing. 

 

Her hand is in his as they reluctantly part. “I love you too, Crane.”

 

“Exit...” he pauses, those beautiful amber eyes could end him. He looks away, “ Exit game.”

 

~

 

Isaac returns with Theo and the surgery has gone well. It’s just a matter of time before she wakes. The anesthesia should wear off in half an hour or so, but with neurological issues, they could be waiting hours for her to wake up.

 

Isaac tells the family that he’s seen and spoken to Theo in Virtual Reality. He notices Danny’s phone continually buzzing. Danny sends Karl a quick text then puts his phone away.

 

“She’s happy that you’re here and she’s quite all right. She is eager to wake up and see you all,” Isaac tells them. 

 

He wants to stay by her side but Danny isn’t having it. “Thanks for letting us know, but we need our privacy now... we’re her family.”

 

“Daniel, the man is just trying to let us know how Theo is doing,” Lori says as she brushes her daughter’s forehead. She breaths sorrowfully at the sight of the thick bandage behind her ear.

 

“I’ll leave you to your privacy, Mr. and Mrs. Mills,” Isaac doesn’t want to make this situation any more difficult for them. “If you have any questions or, need anything, I’ll be in the waiting room.”

 

“Thank you, Mr. Crane,” Ezra sits beside his wife.

 

“Please, call me Isaac.”

 

“Isaac,” Lori nods with a smile then puts her attention back on Theo.

 

Danny follows Isaac out. “Mr. Crane, a word.”

 

“Yes, Mr. Parker.”

 

“I know you think that you’re something more to my wife than you really are, but you’re wrong. Theo will do anything for me, our marriage and outer children.”

 

“It’s a shame you would not do the same. She deserves a man who loves and desires her. You chose an Avatar over the most loving, incredible, beautiful woman, I’ve ever met. You’re mad.”

 

The words sting, Danny knows he has been a fool and he can tell Theo does not love him or want their farce of a marriage anymore, but he is determined. 

 

“All that’s over and done. She’s my wife and I love her. I get that it’s your tech but other than that, I don’t want you around my wife.”

 

“I think she can decide for herself if she wants me here.” Isaac stands tall and firm, but his heart is in knots with fear that Danny is right. 

 

“No she can’t. She’s in a coma and I am the one who makes the decisions for her care.” Danny looks him up and down. “Cut your losses and move on to the next. My wife won’t throw away our family for a fling.” 

 

Isaac can feel the tension within him, as his hand balls into a fist. He keeps his hands firmly to his side. There is no way he will cause trouble for Theo or her family, but wants to knock Danny out for everything he’s put Theo through. 

 

Isaac looks Danny dead in the eye pointing at him, “What Theo and I have, is not a fling,” then walks away.

 

~

 

It’s almost six in the morning now. After a long stressful night, unable to sleep with Theo in surgery, Lori sits with her daughter. Ezra is energy on another chair. For now all they can do is wait.

 

~

 

“Mr. Parker, I understand your request but Theodora has expressed that she wants Isaac to stay.”

 

“She’s unconscious, she can’t make that decision,” Danny argues with Dr. Waters.

 

“Her conscious is awake in Virtual Reality, and...”

 

“And we only have his word that she wants him here... I want to talk to her myself.”

 

“Well, Mr. Parker, if you want to speak with her directly, you’ll have to wait until she wakes up, or ask Mr. Crane. He’s the only one who can get you an Avatar to get into the ap.”

 

“I’m not asking him for a damned thing,” Danny is stubborn on this point.

 

“It’s above me,” Dr. Waters shrugs.

 

~ 

 

Danny refuses to ask Isaac for an Avatar, but he has no problem making the demand from Latham.

 

“He wants you to make him an Avatar so he can see his wife. You can not fault the man for that Isaac.”

 

“Latham, that man does not care about Theo. And she never asked to see him. He can wait until she wakes up.”

 

“Isaac,” the older man scolds him with a look, then hands him Danny’s scans. “I have done my best to keep you from being excluded, but I’m sure by now he realizes I can do anything with this technology that you can...”

 

“Except create an Avatar for him,” Isaac side-eyes as he takes the scans. 

 

“I’ll go into VR with him. I need to assess Theodora anyway. Don’t worry.”

 

Isaac shoots him a look. Lines of strain and frustration mark his otherwise handsome face.

 

“Isaac, are you all right?”

 

“She’s been out of surgery for almost an hour,” the concern is thick in his voice as well.

 

“Now is not the time to worry, my friend. We’ll give her forty-eight hours. If she hasn’t awakened by then, we shall take the next steps in her care.”

 

Latham pauses when he gets a buzz on his cell phone. He looks at the message, “Isaac your associates have been trying to contact you.”

 

“I’ve turned off my phone. I can’t deal with them right now.”

 

“You may not have a choice. Turn on the news.”

 

All night images of an unconscious mystery woman being wheeled out on a stretcher by paramedics, and Isaac the CEO of Crane technologies by her side, have been floating around the internet. Some of the images show clearly the VR chip in place on her temple, and cause a major stir. Two reporters are currently speculating on the situation.

 

*

 

_“No word yet on who the unconscious woman, seen being taken from Isaac Crane’s suite at midnight, is yet or the young woman’s condition. But sources have confirmed that she is indeed connected to a VR chip,” the woman reporter says._

__

__

 

_Her male counterpart continues, “It is still unclear whether this is a game malfunction or, as some speculate, a VR sex gone wrong. Most of the Virtual Reality tech giants have refused to comment, but the owner of the overwhelmingly popular, Striking Vipers X has released this statement._

__

__

 

_“We do not know the nature or the cause of our partner Mr. Crane’s friend’s condition. However, she is in our thoughts and prayers. We would like to add that in the two years since Virtual Reality Technology has been released, there has not been a single game malfunction. The safety of our customers is our number one priority.”_

 

*

 

“Damn, have they no shame, running a story when they have no idea what is going on,” Isaac grumbles.

 

“You should call your assistant, Caroline and have her prepare a statement to the public.”

 

“Our private lives are none of their business.”

 

“But the Virtual Reality Technology is. We cannot afford for the public to lose trust. It could ruin us.”

 

“I won’t make a statement at Theo’s expense. She is a mother and a wife. She and her family do not need this.”

 

“Then be clever, my friend,” Latham walks over and puts a hand on his shoulder. “Spin it however you must, but make a statement or the vultures will begin to circle. We need the launch of VET to be a success to move forward with our more important work... for Sophie, and others like her.”

 

~

 

“May I come in?” Lori asks as she opens the door to the small conference room. Isaac has it as a makeshift workspace for the time being and his personal assistant is taking notes.

 

“Of course, please come in,” Isaac pulls out a seat for Mrs. Mills. “Please make yourself comfortable. Has Theo awaken?”

 

“No, not yet, I’m afraid.”

 

“Can I get you anything?” Isaac offers.

 

“No. I just wanted to talk to you.”

 

“Of course,” Isaac feels that touch of nerves. This is the mother of the woman he loves after all. “Caroline if you could give us a moment.”

 

“Yes, Mr. Crane... I’ll draft this statement up for you.”

 

“Thank you,” Isaac dismisses her and sits with Theo’s mother. 

 

“You’re preparing a statement... for the public?”

 

“Yes. I will, of course, let you and your husband review the statement for approval before it’s released.”

 

“Do you think this will help? Some are saying that you and my daughter were participating in sex games. Another man is claiming that you are seeking comatose women to be in Virtual Reality for your daughter.”

 

“I know,” Isaac grimaced. He hates that at the first sign of trouble, people that he has tried helping, are turning on him. “You know I did not do this to your daughter on purpose. I would never wish what has happened to my Sophie on another parent.

 

“I believe you. I know Theo would not be with us if not for the VR technology. But these rumors are terrible... when they find out who Theo is, a married woman with children. I don’t want them ruining my daughter's reputation. She is a good mom.

 

“I agree. The rumors and speculations are getting out of hand, and are quite troubling”

 

“The rumors regarding the nature of your relationship with my daughter.”

 

“That is immensely troubling to me.”

 

“Well, what exactly is your relationship?” Lori gives him a stern look.

 

“I care about your daughter very much... I...” he stops short of saying he loves her. “She is very important to me. And I’d do anything for her.”

 

“So you two are intimate?”

 

He turns beet red. Mama Mills does not mince words. 

 

“In my statement, I refer to her as a teacher, colleague, and friend who has been assisting me with the upcoming release of VET.”

 

“But that’s not exactly true is it?” 

 

“You’ll need to ask Theo, Ma’am. It wouldn’t be right for me to say more.”

 

“Can I ask her? Can I go into the VR thing and speak to her?”

 

“Yes, Of course. After I finish the Avatar for Danny, there will be enough storage for one more Avatar. If you’d like I can scan you now and create yours.”

 

“Yes, please do.”

 

“I’ll need some time to incorporate the Avatars into the ap. I want to take extra safety precautions due to the delicate nature of Theo’s situation, so it may take a little longer than usual.”

 

“I understand,” Mama Lori had a feeling Isaac wanted a little time with Theo. 

 

~

 

It irritates Danny, but he calmly leaves the room and joins Theo’s parents in the lounge for a bite to eat, while Isaac and Latham input the two new Avatars. It will honestly only take Isaac a few minutes, but he wants a chance to see Theo. 

 

He has been thinking about what Danny said earlier. He loves his wife. Isaac knows this could possibly be goodbye.

 

~

 

She needs something to distract herself from the passing time. A movie wouldn’t do, so Theo thought she’d find something to read. Isaac has an extensive library in his study, and she finds an old novel ‘The Weary Blues’ by Hughes. She puts on an old jazz vinyl record and makes herself comfortable. 

 

Two hours go by quickly when she finally hears a familiar voice calling from the family room.

 

“Isaac?”

 

“I’m here, Treasure.”

 

Something about seeing her beautiful smile as she emerges from the study, sets his heart afire. 

He’s so much taller than her she reaches up, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as he pulls her into his embrace.

 

She leans, arching back just a little, taking his soft bearded cheeks in her petite hands. 

 

They kiss tenderly, it’s like home, subtle and inviting. His kiss, his touch, send a slight surge down her belly almost to her thighs.

 

“How long can you stay,” she asks, breathy against his lips.

 

“Only about an hour.”

 

She can see the worry lines forming on his face, and feel the trepidation of his embrace.

 

“What’s wrong? Am I doing okay?”

 

“Your surgery was a success, and vitals are fine, we’re just waiting for you to wake up.”

 

“Then why so worried?”

 

“Your family is quite anxious to see you.”

 

Isaac lets her free from his hold and walks her to sit with him.

 

“They’ll see me when I wake up. I can’t do anything about that.”

 

“Actually, I have made an Avatar for Danny and your mother. I only had enough storage to safely do two.”

 

“And you made one for Danny, not my dad?”

 

“Theo, he insisted,” Isaac hesitates now he doesn’t want to sound bitter or petty. The man is her husband after all. “He does not want me around, and has made it clear. He is in charge of your care, so this may be the last time we get to see one another.”

 

“To hell with that! I want you here. I said it before and I’ll say it to Danny when I see him. He has a lot of damn nerve. He has the person he needs, I deserve the same.”

 

Isaac smiles, his heart swells a little, but he knows how these situations go. Married people rarely leave their spouses for the ‘side piece’. 

 

“Treasure...” he gently strokes his tender fingers up her arm, across the curve of her shoulder and neck. “I don’t want to cause trouble for you or your family, I’m not under any illusions here?”

 

“Crane... I love you. That’s not going to change.”

 

“I should hope not,” he gives her a cocky grin.

 

“You want me?”

 

“I want you,” he kisses her, pressing his lips gently to hers, tasting her sweet supple lips, “I love you, but...”

 

“Don’t...” Theo shifts from his side to straddle on his lap slowly gliding against his cock, grinning as she feels. 

 

His hands grasp her ass, encouraging her. His touch, god she loves his touch, it’s like a thrilling fire rushing through her.

 

She leans in tugging with a kiss at her ear.

“How much time do we have?”

 

“Mmm...” he groans softly as her body presses against him. He twitches beneath her. “Fifty-two minutes.”

 

She’s already pulling down the straps of her dress. She loves that look he gives her as her breasts heave before him. His eyes haze over, hooded, wanting, full of desire.

 

He glides his hands up her back, tacitly he touches over her shoulder and down her chest. His palm lingers under the heavy fullness of her breast, his thumb, circles her areola until her nipple is firm. She hums her delight, raising up letting him take it in his mouth. 

 

She moans pulling him to her, her fingers ravishing through his hair. He goes from one to the other, nipping, kissing tasting, indulging in her body before returning to her lips. Heated breaths coalesce with wet languid kisses as they pant heavily and their tongues mingle.

 

“God, I need you,” he barely breathes out the words.

 

“Then put me to bed, and have me, she urges grinding wet and desperate against his hard cock.

 

He lifts her, letting her legs wrap around his waist as he does just that. He carries her up to his bed, loves her, and makes love to her, for as long as they have.

 

~*~


	11. Choose Your Destiny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So This story will have a Bandersnatch/ Choose Your own Destiny ending.  
> Please don't skip right to the next chapter. At the end of Ch 11, Select one of the 4 options and go to that chapter. No peeking LOL.
> 
> Have fun. Some Black Mirror Endings and Some Ichabbie endings. Please don't hate me.   
> Please Let me know at the end of the chapter you picked, what you thought of your ending. Enjoy

CH 11; Choose Your Destiny

“Miss Parker, are you here?” Latham calls out. “Theodora?”

“Dr. Latham?” Theo had been lying in Isaac’s bed, remembering every touch and the way he made love to her, when she heard him call from downstairs. “I’ll be right there.”

She quickly dresses and heads down stairs, eager to hear what the doctor has to say about her prognosis, and when she’ll wake up. What she’s not expecting is to see her husband, Danny. She knew he had an Avatar, but she honestly didn’t think he’d want to see her right away.

“Hey baby,” Danny moves towards her and puts his arms around her.

She’s stunned at first and doesn’t immediately hug him back. She takes pause then hugs him and gives him her cheek as he comes in for a kiss. “What are you doing here?”

“I was worried sick about you,” his voice was thick with concern. “Are you Okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine here,” she shouldn’t be surprised that he’s worried, but still, she’s taken aback. This is the most energy he’s put towards her wellbeing in a very long time. 

“I promise, after this, I’m done with this game shit. It’s gonna be just you and me and our family.”

“Ahem,” Dr. Latham can sense Theo’s discomfort and seeks to give her a moment. “I hate to interrupt but I need to do a quick assessment.” 

It was much needed. Theo is certain Latham knows that she and Isaac are in a relationship of some sort since her visit with Sophie, but he was polite enough not to say so directly. 

Danny takes a look around the stunning open concept home. It’s a large living room connected to a dining room and a modern kitchen. Behind the living room is a study and behind the kitchen is a bathroom and he supposed a guest room. He doesn’t venture upstairs but he presumes it’s just bedrooms and bathrooms. The view from the kitchen is a picturesque panoramic of a spacious green lawn that leads to the shore and overlooks the sea. He can see it’s beautiful, but he can’t fathom why this place would be where Theo would want to go in a virtual game. What’s the catch? What do they do here that’s so fun? To him it’s just another house.

He makes his way back to the living room with Latham and Theo.

“So remember, do not immediately exit the ap when you feel the blood pressure monitor squeeze your arm. Either myself, your husband, mother, or Isaac will be with you at all times. We will notify Dr. Waters before you exit to ensure you’re fully ready to wake up.”

“Got it Dr. Latham.”

“Can I have some time with my wife?” Danny asks after several minutes.

“Of course. I’ll wait in the study and give you two some privacy and then I’ll finish up.”

Danny takes Theo’s hand as he sits beside her on the living room sofa. “This is a trip... I thought the VR games felt real but this is... wow. I feel and look like myself.”

 

“I know. It’s pretty wild,” Theo relaxes a bit at the small talk. But she is aware that he has questions. She can see it in his eyes.

“Is this what you’ve been doing? Playing house in a VR ap?”

“The last three times we’ve done this, yeah... but not initially. At first my nights out were exactly what we planned. I’d meet someone and sometimes things were fine, sometimes not so much. But since I met Isaac, yeah. We do this a lot.”

“I guess I just... I didn’t think you liked VR gaming. You never played with me?”

“Danny, you never asked me. I was never invited to play Striking Vipers with you. You wanted to do that with Karl.”

“But you play with a stranger, this Crane guy?”

“He’s not a stranger to me, not any more. Our first night together, he asked me if I wanted to try it.”

 

Danny feels like a fool for never asking Theo, a fool for letting another man explore something so incredible with his wife.

“Well, we can play together from now on.”

“What?” Theo looks at him confused.

“Look, Baby, I know this was rough for us, but I think it’s something we were meant to go through. If I hadn’t started down this road with the VR game, you would not have been wearing a chip when you had this aneurysm. It’s a blessing in disguise.”

“I’m alive because of Isaac and his technology, but what you put me through really hurt me, Danny.”

Danny really wants to turn the conversation around, where the blame was off of him, so Theo can consider their future together, but Isaac is a problem. 

“You should know he is going to release a statement. It says you are a friend who has been providing your expertise as a teacher in preparation for the launch of VET.”

“Oh,” Abbie nods. “Do people know about me?”

“People know an unconscious woman was taken from his private suite in the middle of the night? Yeah... there’s pictures and everything. We aren’t releasing your name.”

“Oh my gosh.”

“Yeah, I’m sure this guy is trying to save his ass right now.”

Theo furrows her brow. That doesn’t sound like Isaac, but she could hardly blame him if he was. 

“I’m just glad that there’s nothing serious going on with you two. It was a fling, he sees you as the help, and we can move on.”

Theo shifts uncomfortably at Danny’s tone and the term, help. That is not what she is to Isaac. “Danny, that’s not all there is between me and Crane...”

“Well, now that the public is involved, this thing with you two is done. It’s all over the news, he’s a sociopath. He’s been looking for another test subject to put in a coma, and live in Virtual Reality with his daughter.”

“What?” Theo is a bit confused.

“If I find out he did this to you on purpose so that you could be a test subject...”

“No, Crane would never do that. This technology saved my life, Danny. I had an aneurysm... I’d be dead right now if it wasn’t for him. This technology has given me a fighting chance.”

“We don’t need to get into that right now. Just until I know for sure, I don’t think we should have him around.”

“I don’t agree. Look, I already told him and Dr. Latham, I want him involved in my care, and if he needs to come here and see me... I don’t want you to stop him.”

“Theo... I know we have had some problems but I’m ready to work on us, our marriage and our family. I just want you and my kids... no more distractions.” 

Danny leans in, kissing her, as he places his hand on her thigh, sliding it up. The feel of her skin and the sensation of his hard on feels more real than it ever felt in Striking Vipers.

“Danny?” Theo pulls away from him. “What are you doing?”

“I want to prove to you how much I still love you.”

“Dr. Latham is in the study...”

“I’m sure there’s a room here we can use,” Danny takes her hand and pulls her into the bedroom.

“Danny, What are you doing?” She tries to pull her hand from his but he presses her against the dresser, wedging himself between her thighs as his hand slides up her skirt. He kisses her again.

Theo is uncertain about this sudden passion and aggression. It’s kind of how he was when Sasha was conceived. She liked it then, when she thought it was about his desire for her. But now she knows this how he is with Roxette in the game. They fight, they fuck.

She breaks the kiss and moves his hand off of her thigh. “Stop, you’re hurting me.”

“It’s just a game... go with it.” Danny kisses her again, wanting her to play like he does with Karl.

“I’m mean it! I’m not Karl!”

“Sorry, I just thought...“ Danny stops realizing she is serious. “I don’t get it. It’s a game you know. We can be different here.”

“I don’t come here with Crane to live out wild sex fantasies and get out some pent up aggression,” Theo sighs. She comes here to spend time with him and be loved. How can she explain that to her husband?

“Well let me give you what you want then,” Danny tries to kiss her again but she pulls away.

“You haven’t wanted me... haven’t wanted to touch me, in ages...”

“I’m ready to change all that, right here, right now... let me show you.”

“No... I need some time to think Danny, okay,” she runs her hands down her face frustrated, and ready for him to leave. “Right now my only concern is our kids.”

“Jenna has them. They’re fine, Theo.”

“No, that is not good enough. Can you just go get them for a little while? Take them to the park and maybe home to eat. Tell them I love them and I’ll see them soon.”

“Theo, I really don’t want to leave you...”

“Please, Danny, just spend a few hours with our babies. They need their daddy. And ask mama to come spend some time with me. I could really use her right now.”

“Okay but I’ll be back tonight.”

~

It’s her first time in VR. The entire experience is surreal as she follows Latham’s instructions. The location off the southern coast of England is bright and stunning. She can feel the warmth and thickness of humidity of the air and the cool breeze coming off of the sea. The sounds of birds in the distance, and waves lapping and crashing along the coast were strikingly real. 

“Mama!” Theo calls from the house.

“Abbie, baby,” Lori turns to see her daughter coming to her, arms outstretched. 

There was nothing like the comfort of Mama’s arms.

The women go inside to where Theo is cooking in the kitchen, and of course Lori’s main concern is how Theo is doing. 

“I really am doing okay, Mama.” Theo points to the wall of windows and the view over the lawn and the sea. “I can cook all day with a view like this.”

“Where is this place?”

“It’s a replication of Isaac’s home in England.”

“Oh...” Lori gives her daughter the look. “Well, you seem very comfortable here.”

“I am, actually. We come here a lot,” Theo stops chopping potatoes, feeling her mother’s eyes on her. 

“So you really are stepping out on your marriage. Sweetheart I know you said you weren’t happy and you think Danny doesn’t want you, but I don’t think an affair is the answer. That man, Isaac, he has real feelings for you.”

“I know Mama... and I have real feelings for him. Look, I didn’t ask for any of this. Danny pushed me away.”

“But having an affair while you’re husband is relegated to sex games...”

“That was Danny’s choice not mine. He didn’t want me. I think he tried for a while, but he wants to be with an Avatar, inhabited by... someone else,” Theo isn’t ready to tell her mother who the affair is with.

“Danny and I made an arrangement... it was supposed to be once a year, he would have his affair, and I could go out and find passion and sexual fulfillment... somewhere else. But almost immediately he wanted more with this other person, and he was willing to sacrifice me to the wolves, to get what he wanted... I guess what I wanted to, because I wanted passion, someone to desire me, and want me. I needed to know that someone wanted me.” 

Theo wipes a tear and her mother wraps her in her arms.

“Oh, Abbie. I am so sorry. Maybe this will change him. He’s been so concerned about you.”

“Danny?” Theo shakes her head. “I feel like it’s too late. He just wanted a wife in name only and a mother for his children. I want a real life and marriage that fulfills me. I want the kind of marriage and commitment that was promised. And, I don’t think it’s with Danny any more.

“You don’t think you’ll find it with Isaac do you?”

“I don’t know. But what I do know is that I can’t trust that it can be with Danny. He already broke his vows to me, and I can’t turn back from what I’ve done either. What we had... it’s spoiled.”

“And Isaac?”

“I love him. I didn’t mean to fall in love, but it happened over time. The more time we spent together, getting to know each other...”

“How? You’ve known him all of two months if that...”

“I can’t explain how, but we’ve spent far more time together than that. And he’s such a good, kind, thoughtful man. The way that he loves me...” Theo smiles as the thought of him warms her soul. “It’s so good. You’ve met him. What do you think?”

“He does seem like a nice man. He’s very handsome and very considerate, but...”

“But nothing,” Theo puts her pot roast in the oven. “This is where I am Mama. I’ll sort it all out when I wake up... if I wake up.”

“Theodora Abigail, don’t you dare say that. You have to wake up.”

“Mama... if I don’t wake up. Tell Dr. Latham and Isaac, that I believe in the work they are doing. If they want to, they can keep me in VR.”

“What?” Lori gasps. “You’d want to live like this?”

“In this place, with this gorgeous view… Yes. Rather than be in darkness in a coma? Or have Danny cut off my life support so that he can be free of me... Yes. The work that Crane Technologies is doing is going to help so many people. I believe in it, and I want to keep helping, in any way that I can.”

“Okay,” Lori sighs as she hears the conviction in her daughter’s voice.

“Is Danny going to see the kids?” Theo asks.

“Yes... you’re dad and I are staying to look over you.”

“You two must be exhausted. Get some rest.”

“Abbie, we don’t want to leave you alone.”

It always makes Theo smile when her mom calls her Abbie. “I’ll be okay mama. Send Isaac. He’ll look after me while you and dad get some sleep, Okay.”

“Danny really doesn’t want Isaac around you right now, and your husband is in charge of making your medical decisions. He is very suspicious of Isaac, and I just think maybe Isaac should back off until you’re better.”

“That’s not fair, Mama. Danny set us on this path. We can’t go back to a time before he started his affair or before I met Isaac.” 

“I just worry about you.”

“I know Mama,” Theo gives her a hug. It feels good in her mama’s arms.”

“I’ll do what you ask. I just need you to wake up.”

~

Every minute that goes by, is agonizing. Theo doesn’t want to let on how worried she is, but she’s starting to feel desperate to wake up, afraid maybe she won’t. She goes to Isaac’s room and changes into something more comfortable. She hopes he’ll come back. She needs him to come back.

“Theo,” Isaac comes to her again. 

“I’m here,” she calls him up to his room, so relieved that he’s here. They need to talk. Danny is demanding he keep his distance. He is feeling the pressure, the guilt of a man coming between a family, but he wants her.

“Wow,” he gasps as he enters the room and sees her laying across his bed in nothing but one of his button down shirts. Hot blood rushes through his body having his lover in his bed where she belongs.

“I need you,” her lips quiver just a touch, the white shirt slips down over her soft bronze curves. It’s enough for him to put everything else aside.

He comes to her, pressing a long deep kiss upon her lips. She softens in his arms, letting herself fall into his loving caress. He makes love to her, and he’s everything she needs. She clings to him, nails down his back as he drives into her. She grasps at his ass feeling his muscles tighten and flex with each thrust. Her soft moans and quickened panting are a siren song, driving him harder, faster.

“Come for me,” he groans as he feels her walls tighten around him, as he hits the very end of her, as he drives her to the brink. She can feel desperation in him, something she hasn’t felt before.

She cries out his name as he makes her come hard. His cock pooling sensations that rise from her belly and surge through every inch of her body. He feels so damned good. Their fingers entwine as he presses her hands into the bed. His kiss is firm before his body constricts and he comes deep inside her.

“God... Treasure... I love you so much...” he groans heavy in her ear.

She loved hearing those words, in such an intimate moment, but there is something there, in his inflection. She pushes the thought aside. The thought that this could be the last time they are together. 

He holds her after, relishing in the feel of their warm nakedness against each other. He runs his fingers slowly down her delicate skin and over her curves. He’s deep in his thoughts, thought about her, holding on to her forever. Fuck Danny, he doesn’t deserve her. But also Isaac knows this probably doesn’t go his way. She’ll choose her husband, her children. He couldn’t blame her if she did.

“What is it?” She is almost afraid to ask. Has he decided this is too much?

“I... I hate to leave you, but have to go. We are on real time.”

“It’s okay. Danny is gone for a while to check on the kids and my parents are getting some rest.”

“I know but... I have to go, Treasure.”

“Crane... are you giving up on us?” She asks straight out.

“I love you... but as I said before, I know where it is I stand. You are married, and I... well I am the other man. I respect that you made it clear that your decision is about you and what’s best for your family. And now you have a husband who’s willing to try.”

“Oh, god, you are giving up on us...” 

Theo starts to pull away but Isaac pulls her back to him and kisses her.

“I’m not giving you up.” He gives her another kiss before sitting up. “I’d love nothing more than to stay here with you, but I do have a meeting at 4:30. My colleagues are putting pressure on me to stay ahead of the story and... I have to take care of business.”

“That’s in a half an hour. Just stay for a little while...” Theo looks up at him with those big amber eyes. “Maybe do some time dilation, we could go somewhere. Crane, I really need you.”

Choice A)  
Isaac stays an extra half an hour longer for pillow talk assuring her of his love and devotion.

\- Choice A Go to Chapter 12

 

Choice B)  
Isaac insists he must leave, but does stay an extra 5 minutes just to reassure her of his love and that she will be okay.

\- Choice B Go to Chapter 13

 

Choice C)  
Isaac leaves promising to come back if he can, even though Theo says she needs him to stay.

\- Choice C Go to Chapter 14

 

Choice D)  
Isaac stays and they go someplace special. He dilates time just a little so they can spend some real time together. 

\- Choice D go to Chapter 15


	12. You Chose Option A

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Read this Chapter if you Chose Option A

Ch 12 - Choice A

 

Isaac holds her after they make love again, relishing in the feel of their warm nakedness against each other. He runs his fingers slowly down her delicate skin and over her curves. He’s deep in his thoughts, thought about her, holding on to her forever. He’s memorizing her every curve with his touch.

Fuck Danny, he doesn’t deserve her, he thinks to himself. But Isaac knows this probably doesn’t go his way. She’ll choose her husband, her children. He couldn’t blame her if she did.

“What is it?” She is almost afraid to ask. Has he decided this is too much?

“I... I hate to leave you, but have to go. We are on real time.”

“It’s okay. Danny is gone for a while to check on the kids and my parents are getting some rest.”

“I know but... I have to go, Treasure.”

“Crane... are you giving up on us?” She asks straight out.

“I love you... but as I said before, I know where it is I stand. You are married, and I... well I am the other man. I respect that you made it clear that your decision is about you and what’s best for your family. And now you have a husband who’s willing to try.”

“Oh, god, you are giving up on us...” 

Theo starts to pull away but Isaac pulls her back to him and kisses her.

“I’m not giving you up.” He gives her another kiss before sitting up. “I’d love nothing more than to stay here with you, but I do have a meeting at 4:30. My colleagues are putting pressure on me to stay ahead of the story and... I have to take care of business.”

“That’s in a half an hour. Just stay for a little while...” Theo looks up at him with those big amber eyes. “Maybe do some time dilation, we could go somewhere. Crane, I really need you.”

 

“Alright,” Isaac agrees and cuddles her up in his arms. “I’ll stay just a little longer.”

“Thank you for this... for staying with me. Everything just feels so uncertain right now. I don’t mean to be a burden.

“Oh bosh, you could never be,” Isaac admonished the very idea. “I need you to know how much I love you and if you need me aim here, Treasure. I will always be here for you.”

They laid in bed for a while longer but as 4:30 approaches Isaac has to leave.

“Treasure, are you going to be alright for a while without me? I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Okay,” she kisses him tenderly, feeling a little bit better about how they were parting ways. “I’ll be here.”

~

 

“Grandma!” Tyler runs up to Lori as he enters the private wing of the hospital with his dad and sister. 

She was supposed to be resting, but she just couldn’t sleep for worrying about Theo.

“Hey, Baby. Give Grandma a big ol’ kiss.” She smiles for Tyler but gives Danny a concerned glare. “What are you doing?”

“They miss their mama. They want to see her.”

“Daniel, I don’t think that’s a good idea, just yet,” Lori cautions him, but he takes Tyler’s hand and pulls him to the room.

“I think if Theo hears her kids’ voices, it might just wake her up.”

Danny opens the door, and is pissed to see Isaac sitting in a chair beside Theo taking off his VR chip. “What are you doing in here?”

Isaac can’t believe Danny brought their children. “I was just keeping Theo company...”

“Mommy!” Tyler calls out, and his lip quivers when he sees her. Tubes connected to her, lifeless, and not responding to him. “Mom... mommy!”

He now bursts into tears and grabs on to Theo. “What’s wrong with mommy?”

Sasha doesn’t understand what’s happening, but starts crying when she sees her brother in distress.

“Come here baby,” Lori pulls him away from Theo. “Your mommy is sleeping because she got a little sick.”

She takes Sasha from Danny to sooth the baby girl. “Come on, let’s go get some cookies while mommy rests, okay.”

Tyler is not okay, but he trusts his grandmother and takes her hand to leave. Lori looks back as she leaves the room and she can see Danny getting worked up internally, behind the calm facade.

“Daniel, just leave. If Isaac was in VR, it’s because Theodora wanted him there.”

He waits for her to leave, then turns to Isaac. “I think you and I need to have a word in private.

“Very well,” Isaac agrees.

The men step into the emergency stairwell and before Isaac can turn around, Danny rams into him shoving him to the ground. Isaac gets a nasty blow to the back of the head when he hits the concrete steps, but he quickly rebounds, punching Danny square in the face with a jab. He then does a quick cross, knocking him in the eye. It’s unexpected and Danny stumbles.

“Are we done! Or do we need continue with this nonsense.”

“Stay the fuck away from my wife!”

“If Theo wants me to stay away then she will let that be known.”

“If you think she’s going to wreck our family for you, you’re wrong. You have no idea what Theo will do for me and our kids.”

“You don’t deserve her,” Isaac snarls and walks away.

He hurries to his meeting in the conference room, with a blaring head ache.

Isaac’s meeting goes surprisingly well. Now that his colleagues can release critical information to the public that the VR chip may have saved Theo’s life, they are ecstatic. Isaac doesn’t really care much about that. He just wants to protect Theo and her reputation, and ensure they don’t entangle her family in a media onslaught.

“Mr. Crane,” Caroline points to his face and hands him a tissue. “Your nose is bleeding.”

“Oh...” Isaac dabs it then hold the tissue. He hadn’t realized he hit his nose in the scuffle with Danny. “If there’s nothing else for now... I should be going.”

 

After Isaac leaves the conference room and walks by the lounge. In the corner he sees Tyler sulking in the corner.

Isaac walks in and sees Mama Lori rocking baby Sasha in a lounger as they sleep. 

He sits on the floor across from Tyler. “Hi there.”

Tyler looks up, not inclined to talk to a stranger.

“You must be Tyler. My name is Isaac Crane.”

Tyler looks up at him curiously, recognizing him from his mom’s room and the name. “Grandma says you’re going to help my mommy.”

“Yes, I’m going to do my best. I build things that work with the brain while you sleep.”

“But mommy is sleeping and she can’t wake up. And she doesn’t look okay,” Tyler sulks back.

“I know,” Isaac picks up a lego block and begins stacking them. “It can be very scary to see someone you love asleep like that with all those tubes connected to them.”

“I didn’t like it,” Tyler admits.

“Me either, but I know that those tubes and machines are helping her, just like they helped my daughter Sophie.”

“You’re daughter fell asleep and couldn’t wake up?” Tyler picks up a block and stacks it with Isaac.

“She did. And the doctors took very good care of her. Just like they will take the best care of your mum.”

“I miss her. Me and mommy talk every day, and we go to the park, and she sings.”

“You mum is pretty amazing. I will make you a promise, no matter what happens, I promise you will see your mum again, and she will take you to the park and sing to you again.”

“Really?”

“You have my word,” Isaac gives him his hand and they shake on it. “Now then, what are we building here?”

“It’s a space ship,” Tyler smiles. “I built another one with mommy last week. It’s at home on my dresser. It’s this big.” Tyler extends his arms excitedly exaggerating the size. 

“Oh, well I don’t know if we can top that,” Isaac jokes.

Mama Lori continues rocky Sasha, but she’s been listening, occasionally peeking her eyes open to keep an eye on Tyler. Isaac was certainly a natural with children. 

~

Danny isn’t at all happy when he returns to see Theo, she’s naked in Isaac’s bed.

“How... how could you do this?” Danny paced back and forth confused, upset. “You are in a coma Theo, a coma and you are in here fucking the guy who put you in this situation?”

“Danny, that’s not fair,” Theo grabs a towel and wraps hit around her body. “I’m scared and alone, and he is just trying to be here for me.”

“I’m here for you! I’m your husband. I tried to comfort you and you pushed me away. What kind of lame excuse was that, ‘go hang out with the kids’ mess. You know that’s your thing not mine.”

“Our children need you Danny! They are used to having me all the time. It wasn’t an excuse.”

“It was an excuse for you to fuck that jerk Isaac. How could you push me away for that guy?”

“You pushed me away first! You’re trying to comfort me now, but where has all this concern and comfort for me been over the past year? Huh?” Theo threw it back at him. “All you cared about was Karl and the game and how good it made you feel.”

 

“I tried to give it up for you... you know that.”

“Well thanks for trying to give it up. But you wanted to fuck Karl and that damn Avatar more than you wanted me. You cared about that more than you cared about me.”

“I was wrong,” his voice is pleading and full of remorse. “I made a mistake. Baby, let’s just start over. Get rid of Isaac... just get him out of our lives and we can start over.”

“Before all of this, Danny, I would have done anything for you. I loved you so much,” she feels herself getting choked up but she has to let him know how deeply she’s been hurt. 

“I loved you so much that look what I put myself through to try and keep our marriage together. All you had to do was love me more, want me, put me first. Ask me if this is what I really wanted. But it was all about what you wanted and your needs. Going out and fucking strange men, having one-night-stands was my consolation prize. But I wasn’t happy, and you didn’t care. I just wanted you to love me.”

“I still love you. Don’t you love me, Theo?”

She wipes a tear from her cheek and throws up her hands in frustration. “I never stopped loving you, Danny. But it’s not the same any more. You ruined the way I loved you. You ruined the way I trusted you. You ruined our vows. Yeah, I still love you, but... it’s not the same.”

“But it’s still love,” he reaches out and caresses her shoulder. It’s been too long since he’d touched her so purely and simply. “That love is something we can build on.” 

Danny tries to hold her but she pulls away.

“I need to be alone for a while.”

“Theo...” he tries again but she can’t let him touch her anymore, and pulls away from him.

But then she grabs her own arm. “Danny... I think I feel the blood pressure monitor squeezing my arm.”

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes! I’m sure. You have to go get Dr. Latham and Isaac. I think it’s time for me to wake up!”

~

“Are you nervous?” Isaac asks as he watches Theo pacing back and forth.”

“Yeah,” Theo nods taking a deep breath. “What if I exit the ap and I don’t wake up?”

“Do not worry, Treasure,” Isaac takes her hand calming her. “Latham is monitoring you closely on the outside. If you don’t wake up, we will manually put you back into VR. I promise I will be with you every step of the way.”

He leans in kissing her as he pulls her into his embrace. The warm tenderness between them was deep and genuine.

“I love you,” she breathes softly as she holds on to him.

“And I love you. Are you ready?”

“Okay,” she nods.

“Exit Game.”

~

She hears the steady beeping of the machines first. It takes her a minute to open her eyes and focus. It’s blurry... and then the voices.

“Abbie? Theo, baby, it’s mama.”

“Mama?” things are slowly becoming clear. “I’m awake?”

“Yes baby,” Ezra’s deep voice is joyous. 

“Mommy!” Tyler is ready to jump up in her arms.

“Oh, there my big boy,” Theo reaches for him, and Danny lifts him up.”

It’s a bit of a commotion as Dr Waters and Dr. Latham check her over and her children cling to her. 

Isaac hangs back, letting her family have their time with her. He stands up to leave and Theo waves to him, mouthing the words ‘I love you’.

“I love you,” he whispers in return before walking out the door. 

~

 

Isaac is in need of a distraction, and an aspirin for that dull headache that won’t go away. He steps into the conference room, hoping to get some work done and pass the time. 

He sits down and pulls out his laptop and a VR chip, then notices a couple of drops of blood. 

“Damned,” he swears at having another nose bleed.

He gives it a minute to stop then puts the chip on to get back to work.

~

Back in Theo’s room, Dr. Latham says she looks fine, but she needs to take things slow.

“We’ll be careful with her,” Danny promises.

“What happened to your face?” Theo asks him.

“I got into it with your friend.”

“Danny...”

“Don’t worry, I think he knows where we stand now.”

Theo lets out a sigh. It’s not for him to decide, but now is not the time.

“Mommy can we read a book?” Tyler asks pulling one of his favorite Winnie The Poo books from his bag. 

Theo scoots so that Tyler can sit beside her and read along.

They’re on the third page when Danny looks out the window and sees none other than Karl. He quickly steps outside.

“Hey, Danny, I’m here.”

“Karl? What are you doing here?”

“I was so worried about you and Theo. I brought her flowers... and for you, Striking Vipers X so you can relax. I know you gotta be so fucking stressed out man. I care so much about you... about us.”

“Not here,” Danny gets up and waves him into an unoccupied room.

“This is good. Nice and private,” Karl goes in for a hug, but Danny backs away.

“Karl you have to go. Theo just woke up and I need to spend some time with her.” 

“I don’t mind waiting for you. You know I love you.”

“Karl... we can’t do this anymore.”

“You mean right now?”

“No... I’m saying, it’s over. After everything Theo has been through. I can’t keep carrying on with you when she needs me to be her husband. I should have been putting her needs first.”

“So we’ll just take a break or go back to once a month.”

“No. It’s over, I told her we’re done.”

“You know how much I love you and what we have! You can’t just...”

“It’s over, Karl.”

“You are going to regret this, you can’t go on without me. You will never have a pussy as good and tight as what I gave you.”

“No, I have something better. Theo is real, flesh and blood. She’s my wife and I still love her.”

Danny leaves and as he walks away, Karl angrily calls after him. “When you get bored, you’re gonna come back begging me for another chance.”

Lori has just stepped out of the room to take a call and heard the tale end. She looked disgusted at her son in law. How could he be cheating on her beautiful daughter with this man?

~

Theo has been looking forward to a moment alone with her mother. Danny finally takes the kids back to Jenna and the two women get a moment of privacy.

“I guess you think I’ve made quite a mess of things, huh Mama.”

“I’m not going to judge. I just saw Karl leave.”

“Karl was here?”

“Yes, honey and boy is he upset with Danny.”

“Wow, I guess he really ended things. I never expected him to fight for me.”

“Does this mean you’re giving your marriage another try?”

“I don’t know. I love Isaac. Mama, I mean, I really love him.”

“He’s a good man. He’s good with Tyler and lord knows everyone can see he’s in love with you.” Lori shook her head.

 

“But Danny and I have a history and children. Feel like I need to take a few days to think.”

“That might be wise. I will support you no matter what. I just want you to be happy.”

“Thanks mama. Have you seen Isaac. I should probably let him know.”

“I haven’t since you woke up.”

Just then they see nurses and Dr. Waters run by her room.

Theo gets a sinking feeling in her gut. There aren’t any other patients on her side of the private wing.

“Mama, help me up.”

“Theo, the doctor said...”

“Mama please!”

“Okay.” 

Once in the hallway they see the gathering of medical staff at the conference room. And Caroline is there with tears in her eyes.

“Caroline?” Theo calls her over. “What’s happening?”

“It’s Mr. Crane... he told me he hit his head earlier... a small altercation. He said it was no big deal. But now he’s unconscious...”

Theo felt faint, as her heart sank heavy in her gut.

“Come on,” her mother brought her back into her room to lay down. 

“This is my fault...” Theo was shaken, tears well up as she tries to see out of her room window down the hall. “It’s my fault he was fighting with Danny...”

“No, you can’t blame yourself,” Lori wipes the tears from Theo’s cheeks. “I’m sure he’s going to be okay.”

 

~*~

 

 

 

\- 6 Months Later

The VET is a success. And now everyone wants to use a chip for the unintended benefit of detecting health problems.

Theo has decided to stay with Danny for the kids but he has had to cut Karl off completely. Theo has little interest in being with him sexually, still partially blaming Danny for Isaac’s condition. 

Her heart is with Isaac, but at least her family is in the same home under one roof and her children are happy. However she’s made it clear, if Isaac wakes up, they plan to be together.

Every Sunday she goes to the private care facility with Dr. Latham and goes into VR to visit Isaac and Sophie. And sometimes she brings the children along.

“Okay,” Abbie sits on the sofa by Isaac and Sophie’s bed. “Hold hands.”

Sasha and Tyler are at her side with their VR chips on and ready to go. 

“Are we ready?” Dr. Latham asks.

“Yes!” The children are giddy. Mr. Isaac always takes them someplace fun.

“One, two, three...”

They all count down and swish. Their feet land at Isaac’s home in England.

Sophie and Isaac run out to meet them. Isaac scoops Theo up in his arms and kisses her.

“Did you miss me?” Theo asks.

“I did,” Isaac holds her. “Every minute we are apart.”

♫ Oh... Anyone who knows what love is... will understand ♫

~*~


	13. You Chose Option B

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Read this Chapter if you chose option B

Ch 13 - Choice B

Isaac holds her after they make love again, relishing in the feel of their warm nakedness against each other. He runs his fingers slowly down her delicate skin and over her curves. He’s deep in his thoughts, thoughts about her, holding on to her forever. He’s memorizing her every curve with his touch.

Fuck Danny, he doesn’t deserve her, he thinks to himself. But Isaac knows this probably doesn’t go his way. She’ll choose her husband, her children. He couldn’t blame her if she did.

“What is it?” She is almost afraid to ask. Has he decided this is too much?

“I... I hate to leave you, but have to go. We are on real time.”

“It’s okay. Danny is gone for a while to check on the kids and my parents are getting some rest.”

“I know but... I have to go, Treasure.”

“Crane... are you giving up on us?” She asks straight out.

“I love you... but as I said before, I know where it is I stand. You are married, and I... well I am the other man. I respect that you made it clear that your decision is about you and what’s best for your family. And now you have a husband who’s willing to try.”

“Oh, god, you are giving up on us...” 

Theo starts to pull away but Isaac pulls her back to him and kisses her.

“I’m not giving you up.” He gives her another kiss before sitting up. “I’d love nothing more than to stay here with you, but I do have a meeting at 4:30. My colleagues are putting pressure on me to stay ahead of the story and... I have to take care of business.”

“That’s in a half an hour. Just stay for a little while...” Theo looks up at him with those big amber eyes. “Maybe do some time dilation, we could go somewhere. Crane, I really need you.”

 

“All right, but just for a minute, I really need to prepare for this meeting.” Isaac insists but he wants to reassure her of his love and that she will be okay.

“I am sorry, Crane. I don’t mean to be a burden. This situation is just... it’s a lot. I just wish I would wake up already.”

“Treasure, you are no burden to me. I love you. Whilst I’m away, I’m sure your mother will come sit with you... or Danny,” he manages to begrudgingly include him.

“I sent my parents to get some rest, and Danny... I asked him to go spend the day with the kids. I can’t deal with him right now.”

Something in her tone raised his concerns. “Is he giving you a hard time about me being here?”

“Yeah... and well he wants to rekindle things. He was acting like I’m an Avatar like Karl. This isn’t a sex game for me. He doesn’t get it.”

“Wait... was he trying to have sex with you?”

“Of course... I’m his wife. Danny hasn’t tried to touch me in months and now, he’s just trying to fix what he broke. I sent him away so I don’t have to deal with him for now.”

“I am so sorry you are feeling pressure from him,” Isaac feels his blood boiling. “Treasure, just because he’s your husband doesn’t give him the right to touch you if you do not want him too.”

“I’m just glad I have you,” Theo kisses him.

 

“Treasure, are you going to be alright for a while without me? I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Okay,” she kisses him tenderly, feeling a little bit better about how they were parting ways. “I’ll be here.”

 

 

Isaac exits the ap. Something in him cannot let it go that Danny is giving Theo a hard time, that he’s trying to have sex with her. He sees the VR chips he created for Danny and Lori. If Theo doesn’t want Danny around, he can make a simple adjustment to ensure he doesn’t get to see her.

~

Isaac hurries into the conference room. “Caroline, get everyone on the line.”

“Sir, the meeting isn’t for another 20 minutes.”

“I need to move this meeting up. I need to get back to Ms. Mills-Parker.”

“Yes sir,” Caroline hurriedly connects the calls.

Isaac’s meeting goes surprisingly well. Now that his colleagues can release critical information to the public that the VR chip may have saved Theo’s life, they are ecstatic. Isaac doesn’t really care much about that. He just wants to protect Theo and her reputation, and ensure they don’t entangle her family in a media onslaught.

He’s antsy the entire time and leaves the meeting abruptly after only 15 minutes.

~

“Treasure, I’m back,” Isaac calls out to Theo as he returns to her.”

“That was fast,” Theo hurries to him and he wraps her up in his embrace.

He kisses her tenderly. “I promised you I’d be back as soon as possible.”

“So... now that you’re here, can we go somewhere? I could use a change to get my mind off of waiting.”

 

“A small time dilation should be harmless enough. Where shall we go?”

“Mmm,” Theo wraps her arms around his shoulders. “How about a little shack on the beach in Fiji?”

“That sounds perfect,” Isaac smiles down and kisses her. He calls out the code and adjusts the time, giving them six hours in a mere half hour of real time.

“We need swim suits,” she teases.

“No, I prefer to keep you naked,” he playfully presses his naked body against hers.

~

 

“Grandma!” Tyler runs up to Lori as he enters the private wing of the hospital with his dad and sister. 

She was supposed to be resting, but she just couldn’t sleep for worrying about Theo.

“Hey, Baby. Give Grandma a big ol’ kiss.” She smiles for Tyler but gives Danny a concerned glare. “What are you doing?”

“They miss their mama. They want to see her.”

“Daniel, I don’t think that’s a good idea, just yet,” Lori cautions him, but he takes Tyler’s hand and pulls him to the room.

“I think if Theo hears her kids’ voices, it might just wake her up.”

Danny opens the door, and is pissed to see Isaac sitting in a chair beside Theo with a VR chip on. “What is he doing in here?”

“Mommy!” Tyler calls out, and his lip quivers when he sees her. Tubes connected to her, lifeless, and not responding to him. “Mom... mommy!”

He now bursts into tears and grabs on to Theo. “What’s wrong with mommy?”

Sasha doesn’t understand what’s happening, but starts crying when she sees her brother in distress.

“Come here baby,” Lori pulls him away from Theo. “Your mommy is sleeping because she got a little sick.”

She takes Sasha from Danny to sooth the baby girl. “Come on, let’s go get some cookies while mommy rests, okay.”

Tyler is not okay, but he trusts his grandmother and takes her hand to leave. Lori looks back as she leaves the room and she can see Danny getting worked up internally, behind the calm facade.

“Daniel, just leave. If Isaac is in VR, it’s because Theodora wants him there.”

He waits for her to leave, and knows he should just go, but he can’t. No way he can just let this guy hang out and play house with his wife.

Danny opens the small case with his Avatar VR chip then sits down and puts it on his temple.

He is expecting to land at the modern style house in England, but clearly this is a white sandy beach somewhere in the Pacific. The sun is setting over the ocean. He turns and sees a hut in the distance, tropical flora rising up a mountain behind it. 

He thinks he hears something... no he’s sure of it. The sounds are unmistakable. He runs, sinking into the soft granular sand with each heavy step. 

Nothing could prepare him for the sight of his wife when he opens the door. Isaac has her against the wall. Petite bronze legs are wrapped around his body. She’s clinging to him, coming, delirious with pleasure.

“What the fuck!”

It takes Isaac a split second to come out of his own trance and realize they are not alone. He turns to see Danny coming at him. “Oh Shit!”

“Wha...” Theo plops to the ground as Danny pulls Isaac off of her.

“Treasure,” are you all right?” Isaac asks then ducks as Danny takes a swing at him. “Fuck...”

Isaac manages to shove Danny back and to the ground, but he quickly recovers and is ready to fight.

“Danny, stop!” Theo struggles to her feet and tries to get between them.

“Theo, get the fuck out of the way!” Danny demands.

“No, Danny, calm down...”

“Are you fucking kidding me!”

“You cannot be here right now!” Isaac insists. “It’s not safe.”

“Fuck, you!” Danny is livid.

“You don’t understand. The storage capacity will be compromised. You cannot stay here.”

“This is my wife, if anyone is leaving it’s... ahhh!” Danny crumples to his knees.

“What’s happening... my head is... it’s killing me.”

“Maybe there isn’t enough room for you in here,” Theo isn’t sure. “You should probably leave, Danny. We can talk later.”

“Ah...” Danny holds his head as he looks between Isaac and Theo. He doesn’t want to go, but this head ache is unbelievably strong. “Exit Game!”

“Is he going to be alright?” Theo asks Isaac.

“I am far less concerned about him. My only concern is that Danny being here may have compromised you.”

Isaac ends the time dilation and sends Theo back to his home. “I’m just going to check on things and I’ll be back as soon as I can. I love you.”

“Okay,” Theo kisses him. “I love you too.”

~

Isaac awakens from VR and can here Danny in a heavy discussion in the hallway with Dr. Latham.

“I think he did something to my VR chip. Nothing like this has ever happened before.”

 

“Mr. Parker, there are 2% of VR users have or develop an intolerance for the technology. A common sign is severe headache upon entering Virtual Reality. This might be happening to you, but it could just be stress. If it happens again you should discontinue use of VR chip technology.”

“What?” Danny is floored. It’s one thing to consider giving up Karl for Theo but he is not ready to give up the pleasures of VR all together. “No way.”

“I’m sorry Mr. Parker.”

Danny storms off and Latham returns to Theo’s room.

“What was that about?” Isaac feigns innocence.

“Isaac, did you manipulate his nanite waves to cause a malfunction?” Latham asks.

“Of course not. The man is just jealous. He’s the one who compromised Theo by showing up whilst we were in time dilation.”

“Oh... I see there was a minor spike here while the three of you were in ap... I’m sorry my friend. I simply want to ensure our work can continue without any... complications.”

“Theo is not a complication. She is of the upmost importance to me and what we’re doing.” 

Isaac leaves but Latham is feeling a bit uneasy about things, especially that Theo is still not awake.

 

~

 

After leaving Theo’s room, Isaac walks by the lounge. In the corner he sees the little boy he knows is Tyler, from seeing his picture, sulking in the corner.

Isaac walks in and sees Mama Lori rocking baby Sasha in a lounger as they sleep. 

He sits on the floor across from Tyler. “Hi there.”

Tyler looks up, not inclined to talk to a stranger.

“You must be Tyler. My name is Isaac Crane.”

Tyler looks up at him curiously, recognizing the name and the man who was in his mom’s room. “Grandma says you’re going to help my mommy.”

“Yes, I’m going to do my best. I build things that work with the brain while you sleep.”

“But mommy is sleeping and she can’t wake up. And she doesn’t look okay,” Tyler sulks back.

“I know,” Isaac picks up a lego block and begins stacking them. “It can be very scary to see someone you love asleep like that with all those tubes connected to them.”

“I didn’t like it,” Tyler admits.

“Me either, but I know that those tubes and machines are helping her, just like they helped my daughter Sophie.”

“You’re daughter fell asleep and couldn’t wake up?” Tyler picks up a block and stack it with Isaac.

“She did. And the doctors took very good care of her. Just like they will take the best care of your mum.”

“I miss her. Me and mommy talk every day, and we go to the park, and she sings.”

“You mum is pretty amazing. I will make you a promise, no matter what happens, I promise you will see your mum again, and she will take you to the park and sing to you again.”

“Really?”

“You have my word,” Isaac gives him his hand and they shake on it. “Now then, what are we building here?”

“It’s a space ship,” Tyler smiles. “I built another one with mommy last week. It’s at home on my dresser. It’s this big.” Tyler extends his arms excitedly exaggerating the size. 

“Oh, well I don’t know if we can top that,” Isaac jokes.

Mama Lori continues rocky Sasha, but she’s been listening, occasionally peeking her eyes open to keep an eye on Tyler. Isaac was certainly a natural with children. 

 

~

After the difficult discussion with Dr. Latham, Danny walks the hospital halls frustrated. He heads for the lounge, he’s about to walk in when he sees Isaac talking and playing with Tyler.

“What the...” he hates this. How does he play so easily with Tyler.

Theo is like that, but he never has been able to just get on the swing set or get on the ground and play. Even when they go to the park, he spends more time scrolling social media on his phone than actually playing with his son.

Danny doesn’t trust Isaac, but he knows if he goes in there it’ll cause a scene and he can’t do that in front of his son and Theo’s parents. He has a seat across from the nurse’s station and contemplates his life. 

He can’t get the image of her and Isaac fucking out of his mind. The way she was with him, the way she was bold enough to say she loved Isaac while he was right there. It pissed him off so bad. And bottom line, this was his own damned fault.

“Hey, Danny, I’m here.”

Danny looks up to see Karl with flowers and a small box. “Karl? What are you doing here?”

“I was so worried about you and Theo. I brought her flowers... and for you, Striking Vipers X so you can relax. I know you gotta be so fucking stressed out man. I care so much about you... about us.”

“Not here,” Danny gets up and waves him into an unoccupied room.

“This is good. Nice and private,” Karl goes in for a hug, but Danny backs him up against the wall and kisses him.

“How did you know this was exactly what I needed?”

Danny takes the VR chip. Karl starts the game and the men put the chips on so they can enter Striking Vipers X.

Within seconds of stepping foot into the game, Danny feels a crushing pain in his head. Karl tries to kiss him, but Danny pushes him away and grabs his head.

“You okay, baby?” Karl’s Roxette Avatar is at his side worried.

“No... it’s this fucking headache... I gotta get out of here. Exit Game!”

Karl follows him out. “Hey what’s going on?”

“Latham says I may have developed an intolerance for VR, but I swear, I think that Crane guy did something. I keep getting headaches every time I go into VR.”

“Oh shit,” Karl puts his arms around him. “It’s okay. We’ll figure it out.”

“You should go now,” Danny pulls away from him.

“That’s it?” Karl asks. “You know I love you. I want to be here for you.”

“I know... and look I’ll call you when I need you, but you can’t be here with Theo’s parents. If she wakes up... now just isn’t the time to have to explain.”

“As long as you and me, we’re good right.”

“Yeah man. We’re fine. Just... I gotta go.” Danny leaves the room feeling broken and ashamed. He doesn’t know if he wants Karl without Roxette.

~

Isaac and Lori take turns spending the night with Theo. In the morning Isaac leaves for the first time to keep his regular Sunday visit with Sophie. It’s the hardest thing to be away from Theo but he knows Sophie has to come first and Theo is in good hands with her own mother. 

Danny doesn’t go back into VR with Theo. They come to realize that his interference did indeed compromise her, and there’s a good chance she won’t wake up.

But by Monday morning they know the odds are not in Theo’s favor.

“We can move her to a private facility, the one where my daughter is,” Isaac offers during a sit down with the family. “The tech is far better and you’ll be able to visit with her whenever you like while she’s being treated. The children can visit with her too.”

“Does this mean she’s never going to wake up,” Lori holds back tears, fearing that this will be permanent for her daughter.

“No, she could still wake up tomorrow or a year from now,” Latham assures them. “We are still very hopeful that she will wake up. These things can be very unpredictable. In the meantime Isaac’s technology can keep her more than comfortable. 

“We have equipment that will keep her body physically stimulated and in shape, while she lives quite comfortably in a Virtual world,” Isaac adds as he takes Lori’s hand to comfort her. “This is just until she does wake up.”

“I’d like to be there when you tell her, if that’s okay,” Lori asks.

“Of course,” Isaac agrees. I know she’d want you to be there.”

 

~*~

 

6 Months Later

 

The VET is a success. And now everyone wants to use a chip for the unintended benefit of detecting health problems. But some are skeptical of Crane Technologies wondering if Theo’s condition was orchestrated. She remains anonymous, and it’s only released that she survived her ordeal thanks to Crane Technologies VR chip.

~

Danny struggles caring for the kids on his own. He has no time for Striking Vipers. Karl tries for a while to do the family thing but he’s not about that life, and soon Danny is left on his own.

 

~

 

Isaac spends most of his days in VR with Theo and Sophie. He comes out once a week to take care of business, then spends six days with his loves. On Sundays, Theo’s parents bring the kids and they visit Theo Sophie and Isaac for a couple of hours (which can be days or weeks in VR).

Twice now Theo has felt outside stimulation, but as of yet she hasn’t had a successful awakening. Lori and Ezra are still hopeful.

On Danny’s next birthday he and Karl try to play Striking Vipers X, but a massive headache puts Danny in a coma. 

It’s not a major blow to VET because the game warning says 2% will experience intolerance and should stop playing. This is viewed as Danny going against the advice and product warnings.

When Isaac comes out for his business day, Latham tells him what happened to Danny. Isaac refuses to allow Danny into his program. Latham says they are experimenting with downloading consciousness and putting them in dolls, perhaps Danny would volunteer.

Isaac doesn’t care as long as it doesn’t interfere with his perfect life with Theo. 

“I owe Theo the best life we can give her.”

“Of course, you saved her,” Latham agrees. “It’s not as if your nanite technology was programmed to cause the aneurysm.”

“Of course not,” Isaac says. “I’m not a psychopath. I love Theo. I’d do anything for her.”

He recalls the first time he ever saw her, he knew she was the one. Finding out she’s a teacher, The visit with Sophie. The nanite waves stopping the aneurysm, Dr. Latham asking if he did this to Theo on purpose, Danny accusing him of causing this…

No one will ever know the extreme lengths Isaac has gone through for true love.

He smiles as he walks into his home and is greeted with a loving kiss from Theo and a hug from Sophie. He has everything he ever wanted now, in his own perfect little world.

♫ Oh... Anyone who knows what love is... will understand ♫ 

 

~*~


	14. You Chose Option C

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Read this chapter if you chose Option C

Ch 14 - Choice C

 

Isaac holds Theo after they make love again, relishing in the feel of their warm nakedness against each other. He runs his fingers slowly down her delicate skin and over her curves. He’s deep in his thoughts, thought about her, holding on to her forever. He’s memorizing her every curve with his touch.

Fuck Danny, he doesn’t deserve her, he thinks to himself. But Isaac knows this probably doesn’t go his way. She’ll choose her husband, her children. He couldn’t blame her if she did.

“What is it?” She is almost afraid to ask. Has he decided this is too much?

“I... I hate to leave you, but have to go. We are on real time.”

“It’s okay. Danny is gone for a while to check on the kids and my parents are getting some rest.”

“I know but... I have to go, Treasure.”

“Crane... are you giving up on us?” She asks straight out.

“I love you... but as I said before, I know where it is I stand. You are married, and I... well I am the other man. I respect that you made it clear that your decision is about you and what’s best for your family. And now you have a husband who’s willing to try.”

“Oh, god, you are giving up on us...” 

Theo starts to pull away but Isaac pulls her back to him and kisses her.

“I’m not giving you up.” He gives her another kiss before sitting up. “I’d love nothing more than to stay here with you, but I do have a meeting at 4:30. My colleagues are putting pressure on me to stay ahead of the story and... I have to take care of business.”

“That’s in a half an hour. Just stay for a little while...” Theo looks up at him with those big amber eyes. “Maybe do some time dilation, we could go somewhere. Crane, I really need you.”

 

“Treasure, I know you are worried and upset,” Isaac wipes a tear from the corner of her eye and caresses her cheek. “But, I have to go. I love you, and I promise, I’ll come back for you.”

He holds her for just a moment then steps back. “Exit Game.”

 

~

Isaac hurries into the conference room. “Good afternoon, Caroline.”

“Hello Sir, the meeting isn’t for another 20 minutes, so we have time to run through data on public perception and go over our plans for VET moving forward.”

“Perfect.”

 

Isaac’s meeting goes surprisingly well. Now that his colleagues can release critical information to the public that the VR chip may have saved Theo’s life, they are ecstatic. Isaac doesn’t really care much about that. He just wants to protect Theo and her reputation, and ensure they don’t entangle her family in a media onslaught.

 

 

~

 

“Grandma!” Tyler runs up to Lori as he enters the private wing of the hospital with his dad and sister. 

She was supposed to be resting, but she just couldn’t sleep for worrying about Theo.

“Hey, Baby. Give Grandma a big ol’ kiss.” She smiles for Tyler but gives Danny a concerned glare. “What are you doing?”

“They miss their mama. They want to see her.”

“Daniel, I don’t think that’s a good idea, just yet,” Lori cautions him, but he takes Tyler’s hand and pulls him to the room.

“I think if Theo hears her kids voices, it might just wake her up.”

Danny opens the door.

 

“Mommy!” Tyler calls out, and his lip quivers when he sees her. Tubes connected to her, lifeless, and not responding to him. “Mom... mommy!”

He now bursts into tears and grabs on to Theo. “What’s wrong with mommy?”

Sasha doesn’t understand what’s happening, but starts crying when she sees her brother in distress.

“Come here baby,” Lori pulls him away from Theo. “Your mommy is sleeping because she got a little sick.”

She takes Sasha from Danny to sooth the baby girl. “Come on, let’s go get some cookies while mommy rests, okay.”

Tyler is not okay, but he trusts his grandmother and takes her hand to leave. Lori looks back as she leaves the room and she can see Danny is thinking about seeing Theo.

“Daniel, she’s not going to be happy you brought the kids to see her like this.”

He waits for Lori to leave, and knows he should just go, but he can’t. He wants a chance at making up with his wife while Isaac isn’t around.

Danny opens the small case with his Avatar VR chip then sits down and puts it on his temple.

 

~

 

 

After Isaac’s meeting he leaves the conference room and walks by the lounge. In the corner he sees the little boy he knows is Tyler, from seeing his picture, sulking in the corner.

Isaac walks in and sees Mama Lori rocking baby Sasha in a lounger as they sleep. 

He sits on the floor across from the Tyler. “Hi there.”

Tyler looks up, not inclined to talk to a stranger.

“You must be Tyler. My name is Isaac Crane.”

Tyler looks up at him curiously, recognizing the name. “Grandma says you’re going to help my mommy.”

“Yes, I’m going to do my best. I build things that work with the brain while you sleep.”

“But mommy is sleeping and she can’t wake up. And she doesn’t look okay,” Tyler sulks back.

“I know,” Isaac picks up a lego block and begins stacking them. “It can be very scary to see someone you love asleep like that with all those tubes connected to them.”

“I didn’t like it,” Tyler admits.

“Me either, but I know that those tubes and machines are helping her, just like they helped my daughter Sophie.”

“You’re daughter fell asleep and couldn’t wake up?” Tyler picks up a block and stacks it with Isaac.

“She did. And the doctors took very good care of her. Just like they will take the best care of your mum.”

“I miss her. Me and mommy talk every day, and we go to the park, and she sings.”

“You mum is pretty amazing. I will make you a promise, no matter what happens, I promise you will see your mum again, and she will take you to the park and sing to you again.”

“Really?”

“You have my word,” Isaac gives him his hand and they shake on it. “Now then, what are we building here?”

“It’s a space ship,” Tyler smiles. “I built another one with mommy last week. It’s at home on my dresser. It’s this big.” Tyler extends his arms excitedly exaggerating the size. 

“Oh, well I don’t know if we can top that,” Isaac jokes.

Mama Lori continues rocky Sasha, but she’s been listening, occasionally peeking her eyes open to keep an eye on Tyler. Isaac was certainly a natural with children. 

 

 

~

When Danny goes into VR he isn’t expecting to find Theo naked in Isaac’s bed. It’s a shock and a blow, even though he knows they are involved.

 

“How... how could you do this?” Danny paces back and forth confused, upset. “You are in a coma Theo, a coma and you are in here fucking the guy who put you in this?”

“Danny, that’s not fair,” Theo grabs a towel and wraps hit around her body. “I’m scared and alone, and he is just trying to be here for me.”

“I’m here for you! I’m your husband. I tried to comfort you and you pushed me away. What kind of lame excuse was that, go hang out with the kids mess. You know that’s your thing not mine.”

“Our children need you Danny! They are used to having me all the time. It wasn’t an excuse.”

“It was an excuse for you to fuck that jerk Isaac. How could you push me away for that guy?”

“You pushed me away first! You’re trying to comfort me now, but where has all this concern and comfort for me been over the past year? Huh?” Theo threw it back at him. “All you cared about was Karl and the game and how good it made you feel.”

 

“I tried to give it up for you... you know that.”

“Well thanks for trying to give it up. But you wanted to fuck Karl and that damn Avatar more than you wanted me. You cared about that more than you cared about me.”

“I was wrong,” his voice is pleading and full of remorse. “I made a mistake. Baby, let’s just start over. Get rid of Isaac... just get him out of our lives and we can start over.”

“Before all of this, Danny, I would have done anything for you. I loved you so much,” she feels herself getting choked up but she has to let him know how deeply she’s been hurt.

“I loved you so much that look what I put myself through to try and keep our marriage together. All you had to do was love me more, want me, put me first. Ask me if this is what I really wanted. But it was all about what you wanted and your needs. Going out and fucking strange men, having one-night-stands was my consolation prize. But I wasn’t happy, and you didn’t care. I just wanted you to love me.”

“I still love you. Don’t you love me, Theo?”

She wipes a tear from her cheek and throws up her hands in frustration. “I never stopped loving you, Danny. But it’s not the same any more. You ruined the way I loved you. You ruined the way I trusted you. You ruined our vows. Yeah, I still love you, but... it’s not the same.”

“But it’s still love,” he reaches out and caresses her shoulder. It’s been too long since he’d touched her so purely and simply. “That love is something we can build on.” 

Danny tries to hold her but she pulls away.

“I need to be alone for a while.”

“Theo...” he tries again but she can’t let him touch her anymore, and pulls away from him.

“Just go, Danny.”

“Theo...” he tries again but she can’t let him touch her anymore, and pulls away from him.

But then she grabs her own arm. “Danny... I think I feel the blood pressure monitor squeezing my arm.”

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes! I’m sure. You have to go get Dr. Latham and Isaac. I think it’s time for me to wake up!”

~

“Are you nervous?” Isaac asks as he watches Theo pacing back and forth.”

“Yeah,” Theo nods taking a deep breath. “What if I exit the ap and I don’t wake up?”

“Do not worry, Treasure,” Isaac takes her hand calming her. “Latham is monitoring you closely on the outside. If you don’t wake up, we will manually put you back into VR. I promise I will be with you every step of the way.”

He leans in kissing her as he pulls her into his embrace. The warm tenderness between them was deep and genuine.

“I love you,” she breathes softly as she holds on to him.

“And I love you. Are you ready?”

“Okay,” she nods.

“Exit Game.”

~

She hears the steady beeping of the machines first. It takes her a minute to open her eyes and focus. It’s blurry... and then the voices.

“Theo? Abbie, Baby it’s mama.”

“Mama?” things are slowly becoming clear. “I’m awake?”

“Yes baby,” Ezra’s deep voice is joyous. 

“Mommy!” Tyler is ready to jump up in her arms.

“Oh, there my big boy,” Theo reaches for him, and Danny lifts him up.”

It’s a bit of a commotion as Dr Waters and Dr. Latham check her over and her children cling to her. 

Isaac hangs back letting her family have their time with her. He stands up to leave and Theo waves to him, mouthing the words ‘I love you’.

“I love you,” he whispers in return before walking out the door. 

~

 

Isaac is in need of a distraction. He steps into the conference room, hoping to get some work done and pass the time. 

.

~

Back in Theo’s room, Dr. Latham says she looks fine, but she needs to take things slow.

“We’ll be careful with her,” Danny promises.

“This is how it should be Theo. Just our family.”

Theo lets out a sigh. It’s not for him to decide, but now is not the time.

“Mommy can we read a book?” Tyler asks pulling one of his favorite Winnie The Poo books from his bag. 

Theo scoots so that Tyler can sit beside her and read along.

They’re on the third page when Danny looks out the window and sees none other than Karl. He quickly steps outside.

“Hey, Danny, I’m here.”

“Karl? What are you doing here?”

“I was so worried about you and Theo. I brought her flowers... and for you, Striking Vipers X so you can relax. I know you gotta be so fucking stressed out man. I care so much about you... about us.”

“Not here,” Danny gets up and waves him into an unoccupied room.

“This is good. Nice and private,” Karl goes in for a hug, but Danny backs away.

“Karl you have to go. Theo just woke up and I need to spend some time with her.” 

“I don’t mind waiting for you. You know I love you.”

“Karl... we can’t do this anymore.”

“You mean right now?”

“No... I’m saying, it’s over. After everything Theo has been through. I can’t keep carrying on with you when she needs me to be her husband. I should have been putting her needs first.”

“So we’ll just take a break or go back to once a month.”

“No. It’s over. I told her we’re done.”

“You know how much I love you and what we have! You can’t just...”

“It’s over, Karl.”

“You are going to regret this, you can’t go on without me. You will never have a pussy as good and tight as what I gave you.”

“No, I have something better. Theo is real, flesh and blood. She’s my wife and I still love her.”

Danny leaves and as he walks away, Karl angrily calls after him. “When you get bored, you’re gonna come back begging me for another chance.”

Lori has just stepped out of the room to take a call and heard the tale end. She looked disgusted at her son in law. How could he be cheating on her beautiful daughter with this man?

~

Theo has been looking forward to a moment alone with her mother. Danny finally takes the kids back to Jenna and the two women get a moment of privacy.

“I guess you think I’ve made quite a mess of things, huh Mama.”

“I’m not going to judge. I just saw Karl leave.”

“Karl was here?”

“Yes, honey and boy is he upset with Danny.”

“Wow, I guess he really ended things. I never expected him to fight put me first for me.”

“Does this mean you’re giving your marriage another try?”

“I don’t know. I love Isaac. Mama, I mean, I really love him.”

“He’s a good man. He’s good with Tyler and lord knows everyone can see he’s in love with you.”

 

“But Danny and I have a history and children. Feel like I need to take a few days to think, and be sure but mama... I really don’t want this marriage to Danny. I don’t love him the way I did when we got married. When he broke our vows and turned me out to be with other men, I think he broke that part of me that believed in him... in us.”

“Abbie, I will support you no matter what. I just want you to be happy.” Lori gave her daughter a warm hug. It’s just what Theo needed, to know she had the support of her family through all of this.

“Thanks mama.”

 

 

 

~

 

6 months Later

The VET ap is a huge success. And now everyone wants to use a chip for the unintended benefit of detecting health problems. Crane Technologies’ stock skyrockets.

After asking Danny for a divorce, Theo moves out and lives with her mom and dad for a few months.  
She has the children during the week, and Danny has them on the weekends. 

She and Isaac continue to date and today they are moving in together. Theo spends her weekends with Isaac. On Sunday mornings they visit Sophie, and Sunday evenings he comes with her to get her kids. Once a month the kids go with them to spend time and get to know Sophie.

 

~

Danny struggles on his weekends with the kids and misses the game. Danny can’t find the time for Striking Vipers X play during the week because he has work, and on weekends he has the kids.  
He misses Karl, and they did try to make up and be something outside of the game, but Karl just is not about this family life.

~

Tonight at dinner is Isaac and Theo’s first night together alone in their new home. Has a special ring and plans to propose. They sit on a blanket on the floor, candles lit, setting the mood. He lovingly brushes his thumb across her soft petite hands, as he leans in for a kiss. He’s ready and he hopes she is too.

♫ Oh... Anyone who knows what love is... will understand ♫ 

 

~*~


	15. You Chose Option D

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Read This Chapter if you Chose Option D

Ch 15 - Choice D

 

Isaac holds her after they make love again, relishing in the feel of their warm nakedness against each other. He runs his fingers slowly down her delicate skin and over her curves. He’s deep in his thoughts, thoughts about her, holding on to her forever. He’s memorizing her every curve with his touch.

Fuck Danny, he doesn’t deserve her, he thinks to himself. But Isaac knows this probably doesn’t go his way. She’ll choose her husband, her children. He couldn’t blame her if she did.

“What is it?” She is almost afraid to ask. Has he decided this is too much?

“I... I hate to leave you, but have to go. We are on real time.”

“It’s okay. Danny is gone for a while to check on the kids and my parents are getting some rest.”

“I know but... I have to go, Treasure.”

“Crane... are you giving up on us?” She asks straight out.

“I love you... but as I said before, I know where it is I stand. You are married, and I... well I am the other man. I respect that you made it clear that your decision is about you and what’s best for your family. And now you have a husband who’s willing to try.”

“Oh, god, you are giving up on us...” 

Theo starts to pull away but Isaac pulls her back to him and kisses her.

“I’m not giving you up.” He gives her another kiss before sitting up. “I’d love nothing more than to stay here with you, but I do have a meeting at 4:30. My colleagues are putting pressure on me to stay ahead of the story and... I have to take care of business.”

“That’s in a half an hour. Just stay for a little while...” Theo looks up at him with those big amber eyes. “Maybe do some time dilation, we could go somewhere. Crane, I really need you.”

He can see it in her eyes, and the truth is he wants to be with her more than anything. “All right... I’ll stay but just for a little while. A small time dilation should be harmless enough. Where shall we go?”

“Mmm,” Theo wraps her arms around his shoulders. “How about a little shack on the beach in Fiji?”

“That sounds perfect,” Isaac smiles down and kisses her. He calls out the code and adjusts the time, giving them six hours in a mere half hour of real time.

“We need swim suits,” she teases.

“No, I prefer to keep you naked,” he playfully presses his naked body against hers.

~

 

“Grandma!” Tyler runs up to Lori as he enters the private wing of the hospital with his dad and sister. 

She was supposed to be resting, but she just couldn’t sleep for worrying about Theo.

“Hey, Baby. Give Grandma a big ol kiss.” She smiles for Tyler but gives Danny a concerned glare. “What are you doing?”

“They miss their mama. They want to see her.”

“Daniel, I don’t think that’s a good idea, just yet,” Lori cautions him, but he takes Tyler’s hand and pulls him to the room.

“I think if Theo hears her kids voices, it might just wake her up.”

Danny opens the door, and is pissed to see Isaac sitting in a chair beside Theo with a VR chip on. “What is he doing in here?”

“Mommy!” Tyler calls out, and his lip quivers when he sees her. Tubes connected to her, lifeless, and not responding to him. “Mom... mommy!”

He now bursts into tears and grabs on to Theo. “What’s wrong with mommy?”

Sasha doesn’t understand what’s happening, but starts crying when she sees her brother in distress.

“Come here baby,” Lori pulls him away from Theo. “Your mommy is sleeping because she got a little sick.”

She takes Sasha from Danny to sooth the baby girl. “Come on, let’s go get some cookies while mommy rests, okay.”

Tyler is not okay, but he trusts his grandmother and takes her hand to leave. Lori looks back as she leaves the room and she can see Danny getting worked up internally, behind the calm facade.

“Daniel, just leave. If Isaac is in VR, it’s because Theodora wants him there.”

He waits for her to leave, and knows he should just go, but he can’t. No way he can just let this guy hang out and play house with his wife.

Danny opens the small case with his Avatar VR chip then sits down and puts it on his temple.

He is expecting to land at the modern style house in England, but clearly this is a white sandy beach somewhere in the Pacific. The sun is setting over the ocean. He turns and sees a hut in the distance, tropical flora rising up a mountain behind it. 

He thinks he hears something... no he’s sure of it. The sounds are unmistakable. He runs, sinking into the soft granular sand with each heavy step. 

Nothing could prepare him for the sight of his wife when he opens the door. Isaac has her against the wall. Petite bronze legs are wrapped around his body. She’s clinging to him, coming, delirious with pleasure.

“What the fuck!”

It takes Isaac a split second to come out of his own trans and realize they are not alone. He turns to see Danny coming at him. “Oh Shit!”

“Wha...” Theo plops to the ground as Danny pulls Isaac off of her.

“Treasure,” are you all right?” Isaac asks then ducks as Danny takes a swing at him. “Fuck...”

Isaac manages to shove Danny back and to the ground, but he quickly recovers and is ready to fight.

“Danny, stop!” Theo struggles to her feet and tries to get between them.

“Theo, get the fuck out of the way!” Danny demands.

“No, Danny, calm down...”

“Are you fucking kidding me!”

“You cannot be here right now!” Isaac insists. “It’s not safe.”

“Fuck, you!” Danny is livid.

“You don’t understand. The storage capacity will be compromised. You cannot stay here.”

“This is my wife, if anyone is leaving it’s you!”

“Fuck...” Isaac does not want to leave Theo when Danny is this upset, but staying will compromise her health. He can’t risk a single bit of her data being deleted. “I can’t leave you with him like this, but he’s compromising you.”

“Danny?” Theo looks at him.

“I’m not going any damn where until we talk.”

“Isaac, he won’t hurt me... I’ll be fine. I love you.”

“I love you, Treasure,” he knows every second counts and has to go. He kisses her. “Exit game.”

Isaac immediately resets the time to stop the time dilation and looks at the reading. Yes, the storage spiked to capacity, but it seemed to be at a normal safe level now.

He picks up his phone and sees it’s already 4:30, he’s late for his meeting. He calls Dr. Latham to come and keep an eye on Theo while he’s gone.

~

 

“How... how could you do this?” Danny paced back and forth confused, upset. “You are in a coma Theo, a coma and you are in here fucking the guy who put you in this situation?”

“Danny, that’s not fair,” Theo grabs a towel and wraps hit around her body. “I’m scared and alone, and he is just trying to be here for me.”

“I’m here for you! I’m your husband. I tried to comfort you and you pushed me away. What kind of lame excuse was that, ‘go hang out with the kids’ mess. You know that’s your thing not mine.”

“Our children need you Danny! They are used to having me all the time. It wasn’t an excuse.”

“It was an excuse for you to fuck that jerk Isaac. How could you push me away for that guy?”

“You pushed me away first! You’re trying to comfort me now, but where has all this concern and comfort for me been over the past year? Huh?” Theo threw it back at him. “All you cared about was Karl and the game and how good it made you feel.”

 

“I tried to give it up for you... you know that.”

“Well thanks for trying to give it up. But you wanted to fuck Karl and that damn Avatar more than you wanted me. You cared about that more than you cared about me.”

“I was wrong,” his voice is pleading and full of remorse. “I made a mistake. Baby, let’s just start over. Get rid of Isaac... just get him out of our lives and we can start over.”

“Before all of this, Danny, I would have done anything for you. I loved you so much,” she feels herself getting choked up but she has to let him know how deeply she’s been hurt.

“I loved you so much that look what I put myself through to try and keep our marriage together. All you had to do was love me more, want me, put me first. Ask me if this is what I really wanted. But it was all about what you wanted and your needs. Going out and fucking strange men, having one-night-stands was my consolation prize. But I wasn’t happy, and you didn’t care. I just wanted you to love me.”

“I still love you. Don’t you love me, Theo?”

She wipes a tear from her cheek and throws up her hands in frustration. “I never stopped loving you, Danny. But it’s not the same any more. You ruined the way I loved you. You ruined the way I trusted you. You ruined our vows. Yeah, I still love you, but... it’s not the same.”

“But it’s still love,” he reaches out and caresses her shoulder. It’s been too long since he’d touched her so purely and simply. “That love is something we can build on.” 

Danny tries to hold her but she pulls away.

“I need to be alone for a while.”

“Theo...” he tries again but she can’t let him touch her anymore, and pulls away from him.

“Just go, Danny.”

~

 

 

Isaac’s meeting goes surprisingly well. Now that his colleagues can release critical information to the public that the VR chip may have saved Theo’s life, they are ecstatic. Isaac doesn’t really care much about that. He just wants to protect Theo and her reputation, and ensure they don’t entangle her family in a media onslaught.

He’s antsy the entire time and leaves the meeting abruptly. He leaves the conference room and walks by the lounge. In the corner he sees the little boy he knows is Tyler, from seeing his picture, sulking in the corner.

Isaac walks in and sees Mama Lori rocking baby Sasha in a lounger as they sleep. 

He sits on the floor across from Tyler. “Hi there.”

Tyler looks up, not inclined to talk to a stranger.

“You must be Tyler. My name is Isaac Crane.”

Tyler looks up at him curiously, recognizing the name and the man who was in his mom’s room. “Grandma says you’re going to help my mommy.”

“Yes, I’m going to do my best. I build things that work with the brain while you sleep.”

“But mommy is sleeping and she can’t wake up. And she doesn’t look okay,” Tyler sulks back.

“I know,” Isaac picks up a lego block and begins stacking them. “It can be very scary to see someone you love asleep like that with all those tubes connected to them.”

“I didn’t like it,” Tyler admits.

“Me either, but I know that those tubes and machines are helping her, just like they helped my daughter Sophie.”

“You’re daughter fell asleep and couldn’t wake up?” Tyler picks up a block and stack it with Isaac.

“She did. And the doctors took very good care of her. Just like they will take the best care of your mum.”

“I miss her. Me and mommy talk every day, and we go to the park, and she sings.”

“You mum is pretty amazing. I will make you a promise, no matter what happens, I promise you will see your mum again, and she will take you to the park and sing to you again.”

“Really?”

“You have my word,” Isaac gives him his hand and they shake on it. “Now then, what are we building here?”

“It’s a space ship,” Tyler smiles. “I built another one with mommy last week. It’s at home on my dresser. It’s this big.” Tyler extends his arms excitedly exaggerating the size. 

“Oh, well I don’t know if we can top that,” Isaac jokes.

Mama Lori continues rocky Sasha, but she’s been listening, occasionally peeking her eyes open to keep an eye on Tyler. Isaac was certainly a natural with children. 

 

~

After their difficult discussion, Danny reluctantly does as Theo asks and exits the ap. When he awakens he finds Dr. Latham carefully monitoring the ap.

“Hey, Dr. Latham. Is everything okay?”

“Mm, I believe so. Isaac was concerned that the ap reached max capacity for a minute... but everything seems to be reading normally at the moment. Just be sure to check with myself or Isaac before entering the ap with Theo. We cannot afford any errors at this stage.”

“Of course. I’ll be sure to check with you next time,” Danny promises. But he has no intentions on having anything to do with Isaac Crane.

He leaves her room and heads for the lounge, he’s about to walk in when he sees Isaac talking and playing with Tyler.

“What the...” he hates this. How does he play so easily with Tyler. 

Theo is like that too, but he never has been able to just get on the swing set or get on the ground and play. Even when they go to the park, he spends more time scrolling social media on his phone than actually playing with his son.

He knows if he goes in there it’ll cause a scene and he can’t do that in front of his son and Theo’s parents. He has a seat across from the nurse’s station and contemplates his life. 

He can’t get the image of her and Isaac fucking out of his mind. The way she was with him, the way she was bold enough to say she loved Isaac while he was right there. It pissed him off so bad. And bottom line, this was his own damned fault.

“Hey, Danny, I’m here.”

Danny looks up to see Karl with flowers and a small box. “Karl? What are you doing here?”

“I was so worried about you and Theo. I brought her flowers... and for you, Striking Vipers X so you can relax. I know you gotta be so fucking stressed out man. I care so much about you... about us.”

“Not here,” Danny gets up and waves him into an unoccupied room.

“This is good. Nice and private,” Karl goes in for a hug, but Danny backs him up against the wall and kisses him.

In a wild intense blur they have their pants unfastened and are fucking. Danny knows it is wrong. Was he doing it because he needs Karl or because he was angry at Theo and Isaac. It doesn’t matter anymore. This was happening... now it was done.

“You should go now,” Danny pulled up his pants.

“That’s it?” Karl asks. “You know I love you. I want to be here for you.”

“I know... and look I’ll call you when I need you, but you can’t be here with Theo’s parents. If she wakes up... now just isn’t the time to have to explain.”

“As long as you and me, we’re good right.”

“Yeah man. We’re fine. Just... I gotta go.” Danny left the room feeling broken and ashamed. He knew that was for all the wrong reasons.

~

Isaac and Lori take turns spending the night with Theo. In the morning Isaac leaves for the first time to keep his regular Sunday visit with Sophie. It’s the hardest thing to be away from Theo but he knows Sophie has to come first and Theo is in good hands with her own mother. 

Danny doesn’t go back into VR with Theo. They come to realize that his interference did indeed compromise her, and there’s a good chance she won’t wake up.

But by Monday morning they know the odds are not in Theo’s favor.

“We can move her to a private facility, the one where my daughter is,” Isaac offers during a sit down with the family. “The tech is far better and you’ll be able to visit with her whenever you like while she’s being treated. The children can visit with her too.”

“Does this mean she’s never going to wake up,” Lori holds back tears, fearing that this will be permanent for her daughter.

“No, she could still wake up tomorrow or a year from now,” Latham assures them. “We are still very hopeful that she will wake up. These things can be very unpredictable. In the meantime Isaac’s technology can keep her more than comfortable. 

“We have equipment that will keep her body physically stimulated and in shape, while she lives quite comfortably in a Virtual world,” Isaac adds as he takes Lori’s hand to comfort her. “This is just until she does wake up.”

“I’d like to be there when you tell her, if that’s okay,” Lori asks.

“Of course,” Isaac agrees. I know she’d want you to be there.”

 

 

 

 

~*~

 

 

6 Months Later

The VET is a success. And now everyone wants to use a chip for the unintended benefit of detecting health problems. But some are skeptical of Crane Technologies wondering if Theo’s condition was orchestrated. Her name remains anonymous and all they release is that she survived her ordeal thanks to Crane Technologies VR chip.

Danny struggles caring for the kids on his own. He has no time for Striking Vipers X. Karl tries for a while to do the family thing but he’s not about that life, and soon Danny is left on his own.

Isaac spends most of his days in VR with Theo and Sophie. He comes out once a week to take care of business, then spends six days with his loves. On Sundays, Theo’s parents bring the kids and they visit Theo Sophie and Isaac for a couple of hours (which can be days or weeks in VR).

Even when Lori and Ezra have the kids, Danny still has no gaming time because for the few hours they are gone he has to get caught up on chores.

 

After six months, today Theo finally feels the first signs of outside stimulation.

 

It’s exciting news. Isaac swoops her up in his arms and kisses her. They are hopeful that today, she might wake up.

♫ Oh... Anyone who knows what love is... will understand ♫ 

 

~*~


End file.
